You Don't NEED Music Theory.

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[CharlesCornellStudios]

If you HAVEN'T watched the whole video yet, music theory and reading sheet music is a GOOD THING. But ears are way more important, and I want to encourage people not to get caught up on the theory. That will come in time! Just start playing!

[J-W_Grimbeek]

I think the conclusion is basically just that theory shouldn't replace intuition. The language analogy is 100% spot on because when speaking, you construct your speech based on the accumulated experience from emersion, without needing to write a single letter, or needing to carefully consider the exact vocab or expressions you need to use. It's helpful to know for the sake of incorporating it into that accumulated experience and making it part of your natural intuition

[tag]

One of my college professors told us multiple times that "music theory follows the music" and not the other way around, and I think it's really important to think about the fact that all music theory was created to help explain music that already existed in the first place.

[nebbs]

When I started learning piano I relied mostly on YouTube tutorials and by ear, and I feel like it helped out majorly when I actually started learning theory!

[DJHolte]

As an amateur musician, I was just talking to a friend of mine recently that although I had a few years of piano lessons (and then sort of self-taught myself after those ended), I really don't know much at all about music theory, and I felt that this lack was preventing me from excelling in the music that I write. I can read sheet music, but that's it. I still feel like I want to dig into more theory at some point, but you've given me a bit of confidence to keep writing and creating, and not let my lack of knowledge stop me.

[jakestewartmusic]

This is an excellent video. I spent several years in a 'jazz coma' studying as much theory as possible, but I was so focused on theory that I missed the musicality for a long time. Once I decided I wasn't the next Pat Metheny and started playing some paid sideman gigs, I realized I could communicate music and play in a wider variety of genres that before. The theory gave me skills to understand and problem-solve in music and continue to teach myself. Eventually, I learned how to actually musically apply this stuff and not actively think about it anymore. Now, I focus more on story, emotion, sound, intention, etc. Focusing on the art with theory serving me rather than vice versa. I think of theory and art as a balance now. The theory helps me communicate, understand, and document my ideas, but the art is where the ideas originate. At least that's the work in progress. Much love and luck to whoever reads this

[MaxumusK]

I’m a high school music teacher, and the stuff that some of my students come up with despite not knowing any theory is mind blowing - they’ll do bitonal, modulating, mode using songs and just tell me that they thought it sounded cool. They’ve been a good reminder for me to not get caught up solely on music theory and dive back into what I think sounds good first

[beckettofficial]

this video kinda came at the perfect time. i’ve been trying to write a musical for months, but i’ve been too caught up in the theory behind trying to write it, and not the way it sounds when i actually listen back to something i’ve written. i get in my own way cause i’m like, “oh this should sound impressive in the theory i apply behind it, ” when i really should just make something that i think sounds good. musical genius doesn’t come from intentionally creating something, it comes from the public’s general agreement that something you’ve made is good. my favorite quote about this is from a musical called sunday in the park with george- “stop worrying if your vision is new, let others make that decision, they usually do.” thank you, charles. i feel confident again to keep doing what i love.

[TheMister]

10:42 - Sometimes, when Rick Beato does his "What Makes This Song Great" videos, viewers will clap back, "Whatever, that band / those musicians didn't know that's what they were doing." Beato has been known to respond, "I don't care; **I** know what they were doing, and **I'm** the one telling you about it!"

He said this when he did the "Teen Spirit" video, if you want a reference.

[ckannan]

I think “music theory” needs to be defined more clearly because not everyone understands it to be the same thing, and seems like that’s something Charles struggled with in this video. To me, notation has nothing to do with music theory. The question of “should I learn notation/sheet music” is very obvious to me: do you want to communicate with others using notation? If yes, then yes. You’ll now have access to learning from resources that use it, and you can now talk to other musicians using it. If you’re in a context where that doesn’t really matter (like electronic music production maybe), that skill is useless. This really is like learning a language. Learn French if you want to talk to people who speak French.
Music theory I think is more analogous to literary analysis. Analyzing a novel or a poem can give you tools and structures that appear in that work, and you can then use those tools to help your own work. This is no longer about speaking the language correctly for communication. You are analyzing the language by applying structures to try and unlock HOW beauty was achieved. And when enough people use the same analysis structures, it gets codified into common terminology as theory: literary theory, film theory, music theory. This is purely now in the realm of subjectivity. If this theoretical analysis helps you create cool stuff, then great! But like Charles’ friend said it’s a purely retrospective thing. Something doesn’t sound good because it’s a 2-5-1; 2-5-1 is an attempt to explain why something sounds good. And if you understand and agree with that analysis, you now have a trick you can use to inspire or unblock your own writing.

[VIUSmusic]

This is the best and most balanced take about music theory that I've come across, and I'm glad you made this video. I particularly love Misha's explanation of theory being a language, because at the end of the day, that's all it is – it's a means for us to analyze, describe and understand music (and all its building blocks). If you already have your own 'language' or framework for understanding music, that's essentially doing the same job as theory.

To add to the discussion, a lot of people think that theory is a long and restricting set of rules and prescriptions, which it really isn't (and perhaps this is owing to the way theory is often taught). That's probably what feeds into the myth that learning theory limits your creativity. As a composer, I wouldn't say my knowledge of theory gets in the way of my creativity at all, it just gives me the tools I need to understand and describe it. Half the time I'm not even drawing upon my theory knowledge when composing. I use my ear to find what sounds good to me, and then I use theory to understand why it sounds good afterwards. I suspect it isn't a necessary component in my creative process because if I didn't know theory, I'd be very much like Misha in having my own 'language' to help me understand what I do musically.

Great video! :)

[sabinrawr]

I usually think of music being the language, theory is the lexicon and grammar, and sheet music is the script. Like any English dictionary, the language is defined by the sounds and the meaning they impart, and the rest is just a way to describe and convey it.

[DylanMatthewTurner]

As far as the music theory part of this video goes, I think it depends on how you define music theory. To an extent, if you know what hand positions on a guitar sound good together you know at least a little bit of music theory. In that sense, none of the musicians you mentioned "didn't know theory." They still did to some extent.
Of course we shouldn't give people crap for not knowing theory, but we also shouldn't go the other way and discourage people from learning it, which I feel is what we're doing by saying "you don't need to learn theory."
Instead say something more inviting to theory like "theory is just describing what sounds good, " "it's not just sheet music, " or "it's simpler than you think!" - something that asks them to learn more and interact with other musicians who already know theory without denying the usefulness of more knowledge.

[TuneStunnaMusic]

Ive been composing by ear all my life, but it wasnt until I saw your EW&F video, and the 5th before the key change trick, that changed my world with composing. You dont need theory if you already explore alot of aspects of composing, but it sure helps to pull the curtain back from the mystery sometimes.

[SkillIssueShynes]

Until tonight, I was firmly in the "you need to learn theory and read music to understand what you're doing" camp. And then this video came along. Even before he suggested we go and listen to Periphery I was starting to come around. Then I paused the video and listened to Periphery's top 6 tracks on spotify. Someone over there understands time signatures in an advanced way, but I now fully agree with Cornell here. Its not a genre I listen to, but holy shit can they hit. Thanks for the rec, Charles!
Edit, I'll also say that as a tap dancer, I think that counting and the rhythmic side of music theory is super important, but I dont teach how to write it in notation. I just want my tap dancers to be able to count a 12 bar blues, and count the rhythm they make.

[TheKaliMalia]

This video was very validating for me as someone who couldnt ever afford traditional training! I've always explained my process as "idk the words for it, I just do it", then would learn random bits of theory and apply them in ways that sounded cool to me.. Hearing that idea supported feels like a reassuring hug 😊

[harmannymusiceducation]

When I teach students, I focus on both building up knowledge of music theory, as well as developing the ear. Both, to me, are essential in musical knowledge. As Misha said, music is a language, something I use with my students repeatedly, and while you need to know the structure of the language, you also have colloquialisms and slang….which to me, is using your ear.

[FASTFASTmusic]

This is so refreshing to hear someone that knows the theory to put it in perspective. When I started writing microtonal music I knew nothing about it, but I was like a kid in a candy shop just trying everything until something worked. Especially with microtonal music, which has very vague theory and conflicting symbols and language, I found myself completely free to just experiment and make something that I thought sounded good to me. I can't articulate it like you can but throwing conventional theory out the window has opened my ears to brand new sounds and that's all I care about. Thanks Charles!

[JordanWeberMusic]

I’ve said this once, and I’ll say it again. I always compose by ear first; plinking around on the piano while recording the audio into Logic through MIDI until I find an idea I like. But throughout my process as a composer, music theory is an afterthought to me. It comes in when I now need to refine those ideas and use orchestration techniques to get the sound I hear in my head to a format that other musicians can read easily.

I have always had a strong ear having been in choir all throughout school, and my mother being a music teacher while my dad sings in barbershop. I could hear pieces and play them on the piano without knowing the theory behind it, but once I have explored the theory behind it, it brings a satisfaction and new level of appreciation to the music.

[thepianojuggler]

This reminds me of one of my favorite quotes from my grandma, "I can read music.. but I don't let it stop me." 😉