BBG i totally understand you. But just as theory doesnt ADD to your ability to groove, neither does having a good ear or good technique or great chops. They all HELP you in that area but none automatically add to your ability to do so. And none automatically diminish that either. You have to know how to use each one to help you, theory included.
one example. you ever had a basketball coach that knew everything about the sport and how to play, good technique, strategies, everything but couldnt play himself? Thats the guy thats all theory. Now do you think if he was able to play (maybe he could practice or something) that all this knowledge and understanding now becomes useless? Apparently it doesnt, because he's using it to help the people he's coaching become better players. So the knowledge does make you a better player overall IF, AND ONLY IF, you know how to apply it and do so. Learning how to position yourself on defense may not make you a better dribbler (a better defender, yes), squaring your shoulders on a free throw may not make you a better rebounder (a better free throw shooter, yes) and ect. Each piece of knowledge helps specific areas but the knowledge itself (theory) should make you a better player OVERALL if you know how to apply it and do so.
The question is why are people later on scrambling to understand the music (which is the basis of theory - UNDERSTANDING)? Because talent only takes you but so far. You cant refine yourself without understanding what, why, and how you need to refine.
But as i stated in my original post, i believe it depends on what you aim to do. Havin groove for days may be suitable if all you wanna do is be a gig musician. But if you want to create your own music, be a music director, etc groovin alone isnt gonna get you there. You need some theory under your belt, whether its "book theory" or "applied theory" its theory nonetheless.
For me, i get tired of only just groovin to other people stuff. Because, no knocks to whoever is, im not just a bass player, Im a minister of God through music. We all here at LGM should be, actually. Just like being able to live right isnt gonna cut it all the time. You need to know your Word. So i want to be able to minister to the people's needs through music, not wait for the next gospel album to come out in the stores to do it for me so i can just groove to it. So in order to do that, i need to immerse myself in not only ability, but understanding. and just realizing that and saying that, i realize this question was a moot point, because for me i know where i need to be so it doesnt even matter.
