Why You Should (Or Should Not) Learn Music Theory

Spoiler: the music theory teacher thinks you should learn music theory. But there really are good arguments against it, and it's important to understand the nature of music theory to avoid some of those pitfalls.

[raleysconfectionary]

Since I happened to have a 4yr old handy I had to test out your theory. I put him in front a keyboard and sure enough he pushed keys until he found f# and then said, "This is the sound of a shark".

[blatellidae]

I haven't felt music theory making me less creative. It's just another tool for my toolbox to refer to if i'm stuck. It's kinda like when people don't want to learn things like basics of drawing cause it'll "break" their creativity. They're just guidelines to help you out. It's not set in stone.

[alfonshomac]

I've learnt by ear for about 15 years before I started getting really into Jazz and started teaching myself theory. You can get very far just by listening to yourself and others but there are limitations. So far, I have found that theory is a way to mechanise and verbalise things you "winged" before. When I started learning modal theory, I found out that I already knew a lot of it already. I just didn't know the names or explicitly defined the rules. The rules were more fuzzy and more of a 'gut' thing.

There were holes, though. Things I didn't know and ways of getting myself out of corners that were previously uncomfortable. I now have procedures to get out of those. Also songwriting can be more layered because you can actually compose, as opposed to quickly winging it and choosing what's naughty or nice.

[maskkottube]

The most interesting thing about this is that you actually recorded it in one take, without any cuts) or maybe i just blinked at the moments the cuts occurred) it proves that you've got a very clear understanding of what you are talking about what makes your points even more pure, precise and legit. I really envy (in a good way) people, who can express themselves in such a clear manner and you are getting better and better every time)) been into playing music for 25 years now and even studied at a musical college, but i wish i had your level of understanding how things work when it comes to theory) all the best from russia!

[christosgiannakoulas]

I think the issue here is that most people don't understand the meaning of the word "theory". Theory does not mean rules or guides. Theory or a theory on something is just our effort to understand and explain how things work. And to do that we use "language" and "sketches" and "diagrams". That's it basically.
In order to play music you have to find out how music works (but also how the instrument you are going to play with works), which means that eventually you have to find out a theory behind it. It could be the known theory or your theory. You could use the known language or invent a new one. You could develop your theory through your instincts or through observation. But nonetheless you will be playing music because you are going to find out how it works, which means you will know A theory or part of it. The sure thing is that we are not able to surpass the collective human knowledge of how a thing works just by ourselves. That's why studying theory always helps. In particular it helps to understand that something in a much more structured and a less less time spending way. That applies also to music.
It's the same with science. We have OUR theories on how nature works. We use these theories on how nature works, which have been developed by humanity ever since and we make things that do not exist in the natural world for example a Cell Phone. The invention of something needs creativity (and a bit of madness) but it also needs a good theory background (which many times you have to develop alone using the existing theory). Same applies to music. Only a lot of it is already there. No need to invent again the wheel.
So, I think, instead of spending time and energy in order to find out on my own how music works it is much better to learn a known music theory (there is not only one btw), or part of its basics, and use my time to be creative while doing so.

PS (to Michael): I have just discovered your videos and you do an amazing job.

[DIZCHU]

I'm an artist and I think a good way to explain it would be to compare music theory to something like anatomy. It doesn't matter if you draw cartoons or if you draw realistic portraits, knowing how anatomy works will benefit your art. Similarly it doesn't matter if you write simple pop/rock songs, knowing music theory can really give you a better understanding of what you're doing. It doesn't mean you'll have to use dorian modes or seventh chords or have constant key changes, it just means you have more options.

[stationshelter]

As far as breaking the rules,
It usually goes in art that you have to learn and understand the rules BEFORE you can break them.
The rules are rules because they work, and understanding why they work is a huge step towards knowing how to make your art work, with or without them. There are exceptions, of course, and I don't think music takes all that many rules to "work", but it would be foolish in your education to ignore the several thousands of years of knowledge that mankind as a whole has collected from experience. Basically the depth of knowledge one person can accrue by himself in his lifetime will never equal that of hundreds of dead europeans, but it might be enough regardless.

[adisatrio]

I love music as how it is. Theory, practical, technical, creativity, all of those are supporting each other. i start playing and making music by self-taught. no theory and etc. i keep getting better and better and one day i realize without music theory, it's so raw. and by learning music theory, help me so much. overall, all u need is a passion. when u love doing what u love to do, u can elaborate and create things. keep ur self positive, then nothing can hold u back. just do it. take time, make something, even if it sounds or looks stupid at first, just be urself. it'll be better if u keep in progress. that's what i love from art. there's no rules, there's no right or wrong. its about how u express urself. all music have their own listener. just respect all of them and appreciate any artwork. keep making music, keep teaching music, gbu all.

[Person]

Hi Michael,

I studied music for years in both ways that you addressed in this video, there was a certain magic to music for me prior to gaining a formal understanding of the structures underpinning it all.

Once I started learning about cadences and voice leading suddenly everything I listened to was built of these smaller structures and the magic was ruined. It really had a major effect on my enjoyment of music.

Since I've started watching your channel and the way you explain everything, I've started to appreciate the genius in music I listen to, it's almost like there's a new magic within the structure.

I only wish I'd had the same awakening while I was at school

[Marre]

I somtimes use music theory to deliberately make "bad" sounding music, and sometimes i unintentionally find something that sounds good. I think it's really entertaining to hear something that's so far away from what i know.

The first time i heard the chord progression Ab -> Bb -> C, I was amazed by how awesome it sounded. I really think it's fun to discover these new things within music.

In a sense it's kindof like riding a roller coaster. The first time, it's feels really amazing, with adrenaline pumping through my body. After a couple of times, though, it gets less and less exciting, and you try out something else, maybe getting back to it later.

[GV-ijib]

Alan Watts summed it up quite well: you can learn all about Music and it's theory, like a language. So if you have something to say, great! You can write it now.

However, if you learn this new language, but have nothing to say; then your education was futile.

soooo yeah^^

[Vittoria]

I'm a singer/songwriter who actually created a decent body of work in my first (and only) album (if you Google Vittoria Conn, you may find some online somewhere, like in an old podcast), and was complimented on the quality of my songs by several trained musicians. Then I started to hit the wall. I ran out of ideas. Not only did I not know enough theory, I didn't know what I didn't know. The impulse to make music was still so strong, but it had nowhere to go. Solid theory might have laid down tracks (so to speak) for that impulse to follow. It's been thirteen years of no output at all. I could have used that time to actually learn theory and been writing like crazy by now. Now I'm 60 years old. I guess I'd better get cracking! I'll take a look at all your lessons. Thanks for helping people like me.

[johncgibson]

Very happy to find this channel. I am 45 years old, and finally able to play piano with 2 hands without beating the sheet music into my brain. The first song I am able to add chords to the left hand semi-improvised is the Dvorak New World folk tune. I can not believe what comes out of my fingers. 80% is alternating C-chord and G7 chord, 20% from trial and error that I don't know what chords they are. I am not going to play by other people's sheet music any more. My music expresses who I am, how my ethnic background relates to the folk tune, and how my life leads to how I play the chords. The music is me. No one else in the world plays it the same way.

[theskoomacat]

I didn't have an idea how to play music until I started watching you videos. Now I'm composing a piece for me and my two other friends to play. Learning theory and listening to different kinds of music (+ skooma), IS the source of my creativity. For me, I've always loved music, and wanted to figure these things out, but it didn't come naturally to me. Getting to know theory was the step forward in really expressing myself. It gave me a kind of system that I can work with. A sort of reference frame where I can start liking stuff together, sort of like maths.
I personally combine the two things you were talking about. Because the way I do it is I learn the concepts then I start experimenting with them. If it doesn't seem to work yet, I give it some time, listen to some music where I immediately start to recognize things, which I can later implement as ideas perhaps. I think listening to music is an underrated but fantastic tool to learn. That may only be me though.

[scringer]

Well said. I was a metal singer for years, then went off and started a modern rock solo project. After that I got Logic and started with some EDMish stuff and now I'm where I want to be, writing symphonic music. When I started with the symphonic music it became clear that I needed to learn music theory. If I only knew then what I know now! Lol. For anyone on the fence about theory, learn it and learn it now. It is the tool that will bring the music in your head to fruition. This channel is excellent! You rock, Michael!

[andreafalconiero]

Great video. I think one way to consider this which builds on what you have said is that the amount of theory you need depends on the _scale_ of what you are trying to construct. Consider architecture, for example. If you're building a doghouse, any reasonably skilled amateur carpenter could grab some wood, eyeball the length of things and start cutting, etc. and would be able to build a reasonably good doghouse without formal training, or any ability to read a blueprint (or even a measuring tape!). Similarly if you're composing a riff or a short melody or chord progression, there is no need for "rules". However, trying to build a modern house without a more formal approach (blueprints, engineering studies, etc.) and you will very quickly run into trouble! The same is true if you want to write a sonata or an orchestral suite. It's the same with every discipline: Writing a good paragraph requires more understanding of theory than writing a sentence, and writing a book takes more planning than a 2-page short story. If you're a computer programmer, you can probably write a short script by starting with your text editor and just writing the program out directly. However, if you're writing a half-million line program, it's probably a good idea to do some object modelling, maybe a formal spec, etc. before you begin coding!

In music especially, the need for a more formal approach arises primarily because of the way the "problem space" grows exponentially as the length of a piece increases. Consider a composition of only four sequential white-key notes from a single octave, with no consideration of rhythm: even in this tiny "composition", there are already 7^4 = 2401 possible melodies! Exploring even these possibilities, which might represent only a single measure of music would take a long time to do randomly. Therefore, anyone composing music needs some way to reduce the problem space by ruling out countless dead-ends which are likely to "sound bad". The only choice a composer has is whether or not to "stand on the shoulders of giants" by relying on the formal musical theory that has gradually developed over the centuries in western art music (or in some other tradition), or find their own path by developing their own "theory" by trial-and-error. There are a couple of problems with this latter approach:

1) As you clearly explained, the underlying theory (whether conscious or not) that guides composition is probably rudimentary, and excludes a great many worthwhile possibilities (such as your student composing only in C# minor, for example), eventually leaving the composer in a creative cul-de-sac, and

2) An inability to *describe* how your composition works, or what you are trying to achieve to other musicians! A vocabulary is needed to communicate with others about your music, and unless you are working solely by yourself on your compositions, you will need this vocabulary. Again, I suppose you could invent your own words to describe your musical ideas, but then you would have to teach your custom language to everyone else before they would understand what you're talking about. That's a lot less efficient than using the same language everyone else uses, which is much of what we call "music theory" -- the language (or discipline-specific "jargon") used to describe musical ideas. You NEED this language to collaborate with others, just as a surgical team needs a shared jargon to work together effectively when operating on a patient.

[sharutamonud]

Music theory is like reading and writing. It's not essentially needed to speak a language, but it's really suggested you learn how to do so (for obvious reasons).

[Donaldbeebi]

music theory is the soil, and music is the flower

[GhostMiKo]

This guy deserves way more views and subscribes then he has.
Reason is, I've played guitar for eight years and have struggled with writing my own music because I could never develop a foundation I found suitable for myself to complete a song. Beyond that, his circle of fifths is the best explanation of ever heard for explaining how the wheel works in its entirety and I've had music classes that have tried to teach me that in highschool.

[motorcitysmitty]

Great, video. I have to admit I started at a young age didn't care to learn theory or reading music. What happened, predictably, is that my growth as a musician stopped and became frustrated and eventually quit playing for 25 years. When I picked it up again, I told myself I would get formally trained in theory, reading, etc. Not only has my playing progressed but I feel like I have opened a completely new world with unlimited boundaries! Isn't theory really just a way of cataloging what people have experimented with and found to have worked/not worked over the ages?