What do you think about music theory?

[RenanRischiotto]

• It’s essential.
• It makes you a better musician.
• It’s good to know.
• It’s hard and complicated.
• It takes the music from you heart and put it in your head.
• It’s a completely waste of time.

Important: I haven’t tried the Justin’s Practical Music Theory course, yet, but I’ve tried a little on a piano course and what can I say, seems hard. Specially for a overthinker like me.

Justin used to say: “The more you think the more you stink” and that’s seems hard to do if you are studying music theory.

[Ontime]

I love it. Its really help my understanding of guitar a ton and thereby helped my guitar skils. I started PMT at the end of grade 2. But I didnt really engulf my self into it until after I finished grade 3 and BLIM.

The Day before yesterday after doing my daily practice routine we had a live lesson, but I spent much of the day working on grade 5.1 in the PMT course. I watched the videos a couple of times and dID the interval worksheets. I ALSO did some of the different ideas on the guitar. The rest of the day I spent working on songs and solos.

I have also been “trying” using the skills learned in theory to do Harmonic analysis of the solos I am learning. This has been really cool as it gives some more insight to the music I am learning and why it is written the way it is and why it sounds so good, where segments resolve to. The theory helps me understand why those notes are the good ones. And also helps me know what alternative notes are usful and helps me know what would be good for improve if on stagenand doing on the fly or why the different live recordings still work vlyet are played different.

He is a photo of some of that work from that solo analysis other day, it does help me feel a bit more intimate with the music also.

Edit still working on the full analysis of this solo.

[AJSki2fly]

The issue with just relying on tab is you do not have the Rhythm, you need musical notation for the length of chords and notes and silence!

[pwoodtx]

It helps things make sense. I think the key is not letting it get into your head too much, except maybe if you’re composing.

[mathsjunky]

I’m a big fan - I use it all the time when …

Transcribing (for example if you just found an out-of-key major III chord, there is a very good chance that the vi is next)

Improvising (knowing I can play a #4 over a IV chord)

Arranging (two guitars playing the same chord in different positions will sound more interesting if they are not the same inversion).

Also really helpful to learn guitar parts when you understand the patterns and intervals being used - it glues things together.

[chris_m]

I know just enough that I think it’s interesting. I’ve been doing the PMT, I have the paid course. But it’s just not sinking into the memory.

I’ve hit a road block with memorizing the notes on the fretboard. I know what I should be doing. Mnemonics on the top 2 strings, octave shapes. When I go for my morning walk I recite the notes in the first 3 frets. But I just can’t name the notes fast enough to make any practical use of it.

Same thing with notes in the scale T T S T T T S but there is just no way I can memorize any of this stuff. I think the course is good but I just can’t see if I can ever really use it.

[RenanRischiotto]

I was maybe about to give the PMT a go but it doesn’t have free grades anymore (Grades 1 and 2 used to be free), I can’t pay $199 at the moment

[tony]

Too many teachers push it too early or unnecessarily.

When I first tried to learn guitar, went for lessons and was right away told I needed to learn the scales. Complete and utter waste of time and part of why it didn’t stick.

Roll the clock forward 15 years and my 2nd and successful attempt at learning. I stayed right away from any scales or theory. And I progressed very well and started having fun playing.

Then I attended a master guitar workshop and noticed in the sessions that covered theory, I couldn’t even take part in the conversation because I knew none of the language. It’s like I was talking English and they were all speaking in French.

From that point onwards I’ve been soaking up as much music theory as my brain can consume and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it and it’s making me a more accomplished musician.

Learned a new bit of theory the other day, was explaining it to a friend who’s far more accomplished than I am, he has recorded his own CD, his songwriting and stage craft is amazing. Guess what, he wasn’t the least bit interested in knowing how to easily find the chord tones in any key. So, it’s clear he doesn’t need music theory at all.

[RenanRischiotto]

I learned music theory a little bit when I started to learn piano (online as well). I don’t know how I feel about it, looks hard and messy (and let’s not even talk about the notation, I think you need what, 20 years to master it? ). Justin is amazing at teaching guitar so I thought that he must be awesome teaching music theory as well. But I can’t pay at the moment. I’m going to try Ear Training tomorrow. I think it’s all free.

Update: I got the link to another page and there’s the two free modules.

[DaveTC59]

I find it both useful and interesting but that’s just me😄

Many famous musicians have no “formal” theory. They are naturally “gifted”. Unfortunately, I’m not.

You can certainly get by without music theory knowledge, however for me even a little basic theory can be a great help.

For example:
Theory states; Chords consist of stacked “thirds”.

But what is a third?
It’s just the third note in the sequence of notes making up a scale. CDEFGAB(C)

Big deal, why do I need to know that?
Well, a C chord consists of the notes C, E, G.
An E chord consists of the notes E, G, B.
a G chord would be…… G, B ,D and so on.
The 3 notes can be in any order and these different orders are referred to as “inversions”.
See, not so difficult is it.

I use Every Good Band Deserves Fans And Cash as an easy way to remember the Circle of Thirds that make up major/minor chords.
EGB, GBD, BDF, DFA, FAC, ACE, EGB……

Take Standard tuning on a guitar, on any three strings, the top string will be a 5th, the middle a root and the bottom a 4th. (Check it out in Music Theory - Intervals).

So why should I know that ? Well, theory also tells us that next to any 4th, is a third. It sits one fret up towards the guitar head.

Theory told us that any Root, Third and Fifth, makes a major chord of the Root note. These notes can be in any order.

Knowing that, I can now make major chords and their “inversions” anywhere on the guitar fretboard, not just at the guitar head.

Theory also tells us that minor chords have a “flattened” third. Sounds complicated but simply means that if I fret the lower of those three strings that make up my chord, one fret closer to the guitar neck my major chord becomes minor chord.
Now I can play any minor chord or it’s inversion anywhere on the fretboard.

Just a little theory and already I can play major, minor and chord inversions all over the guitar neck.

While not “essential“ , theory can certainly help you understand your musical journey and answer those questions that arise as your guitar knowledge grows.

Such as:
But, when I make a chord that has a third on the B string, the third (not the fourth) is directly below the root. Why?

The theory on Standard tuning intervals explains how the intervals between E-A, A-D, D-G and B-E are all 4ths but the interval between G-B is only a third.

Wait, what are Intervals?
The “distance” between notes. More music theory……

See knowing and applying a little theory leads me to wanting/needing to know more.

[Coda]

An individual attitude toward the music theory will certainly vary, and will strongly depend on what a given guitarist wants to play. To just play songs with an accompaniment of a few first position chords almost no theory is needed. And it’s fine with me. That’s what guitars are for, too.
However anyone who intends to play some more sophisticated musical stuff may need to learn some theory, as it’s essential, in its applied sense, for development of a guitarist’s vocabulary. After all, it’s not rocket science, and learning it can bring lots of satisfaction, even though sometimes initial reluctance has to be overcome.
My personal study of the music theory has focused chiefly on chord construction principles, to a lesser extent on scales, and I’m very glad that years ago I decided to get around to it, as now I understand how chords are built, with all the extensions and alterations, and I can even build a chord I’ve never played before merely by its symbol.
I’m not at all surprised that there are different opinions on the matter…

[LadyOfTheCastle]

@RenanRischiotto

I don’t know how I feel about it, looks hard and messy (and let’s not even talk about the notation, I think you need what, 20 years to master it?

It isn’t that hard, and you certainly don’t need 20 years to be able to read notation well enough in order for it to be useful for playing the guitar. I had no choice - music theory (and singing) was part of the curriculum in primary school, so I studied 6 years of music theory, albeit at kids level. That was almost 40 years ago, never used it since, but the little of the basics I remember goes a long way when looking at notation: rhythm and distance between notes are quite easy once you know what it looks like, and get you a really long way. I would say: give it a go, it will give you a foundation for your playing, but just like learning to play, don’t rush it.

[sclay]

For me, it’s the cornerstone of my development in the last 6 years.
Theory is intensely practical; that’s the true power of it, and the whole idea that the naysayers miss.

Justin’s practical theory course is the pinnacle of his teaching in my view.

Cheers, Shane

[simon_plays_bass]

I’ve a short (hopefully not rude ) response to this one: learn the theory you need when you need it.

And to make it a little longer: learn the theory you need when you need it; that approach will help make you a better player.

[GrytPipe]

Theory, for me is a must learn.
For instance, suppose you’re somewhere (a pub or something) and there’s a free jam going on. Anyone can join.
So you jump on stage, eager to play and you ask, what key are we in? Somebody say’s, oh it’s A major, of Cb minor, for instance.
If you know your theory, you instantly know which chords you can play and/or which scales you can use.
If you don’t know, well…that’s going to be somewhat awkward, i guess.
You can get by without theory, but you’re setting yourself back. Way back.

[RenanRischiotto]

I have to be honest, your comment scared me a bit

[RenanRischiotto]

Well Justin agrees with you, but for notation not music theory:

“Massive waste of time”
“Sucks all the fun out of playing”
“Wait until you have a reason to know it”

I’ll give the music theory a go (as well as ear training), let’s hope I don’t go insane . Justin is amazing at teaching guitar so must be the same with music theory, right? That’s what makes my interest (also because I’m at the end of Grade 1 so now I have to consolidate everything and it’ll take some time. Well some things I changed on the consolidation curriculum).

[RenanRischiotto]

I remember seeing on another forum platform, and if I remember correctly someone were saying that he learned to play guitar just by hearing and figuring out, but people kept telling him to learn theory, so he learned it. What happened? He said he couldn’t play anymore (I guess figuring out songs) because he kept thinking if it was right. If that’s true that’s a red flag for me.

[RenanRischiotto]

@sclay

Justin’s practical theory course is the pinnacle of his teaching in my view.

That’s what encourages me, Justin’s amazing teaching skills.

[RenanRischiotto]

@GrytPipe

You can get by without theory, but you’re setting yourself back. Way back.

Music Theory seems overwhelming for me, I actually wonder if I still have a good brain for these stuff.