Subject: What Exactly Is Music Theory?
You are getting this e-mail because you subscribed to it on www.learn-to-play-rock-guitar.com. If you don't want to receive these e-mails any longer, go to the bottom of this message and click on "unsubscribe." Hey there Friend, Before I get into today's topic, I wanted to make you aware of a need in the music community I just found out about.If you're at all familiar with the television program Metal Evolution on VH1, you know they worked to document the rise of heavy metal and the artists that influenced both the Metal genre and Rock music as a whole. The series aired and completed, but in the process of documenting the sub-genres of Metal, they found networks not willing to air information about Extreme metal - executives considered it a bit too controversial. The producers of the show have decided (based on feedback by fans of the series) Death Metal just can't be left out of the series. So they are asking music lovers around the world to help fund the production of the unsung episode. You can help out by visiting their Indiegogo campaign and donating to support the cause. They've got some very cool perks - for as little as $5 you can get a download of the finished episode when it comes out. Got some big money burning a hole in your pocket? You can be listed as one of the producers of the show. You might not be into this style of music, but I figure anything that helps promote music is a good thing. Just wanted to make you aware of the opportunity to support fellow music lovers. Head over to Indiegogo and check out Metal Evolution: Extreme Metal 'The Lost Episode'. Music Theory - the real meaning. For many people, just mentioning the words "music" and "theory" in the same sentence can be scary. Whether you are brand new to music creation or have been playing an instrument for years, the thought of trying to read and understand forte and glissando, or legato and staccato and pentatonic and scale modes and... AHHHHH!!!! Stop. Just stop. Let's have a nice discussion of what music theory really is. I want you to sit back and relax, drop any of your preconceived notions, and just clear your mind of any scary, "music theory" thoughts. Like you, I once had visions of terror when I thought about learning all the intricacies of reading and understanding musical scores, not to mention being able to actually play what is written down. I thought, "Why do I need to learn any of this stuff?" Isn't it good enough to just play what sounds good to me (and others, if we're being honest about why we play)? My guitar instructor and mentor Tom Hess recently sent out a short email survey, asking his subscribers how they define music theory. It was a multiple choice answer, so you'd think there was a cut and dry answer. Not so - it was a trick question. And of course, I bit, hook, line and sinker. It turns out my impression of the purpose of music theory was probably much like yours - a bunch of old world terminologies and complex, hard-to-understand rules and exceptions. It was almost like some ancient, arcane language that left me confused, often with more questions than answers. Dots on lines and tails and weird squiggles and Italian words. It's no wonder people can graduate from college with master's degrees in music theory! But my views have changed, and I think (hope) yours will change after you finish reading this. Let's review the choices Tom gave in his survey. What is music theory? Is it:
But what I'm realizing now is that these resources are only satisfying the "hows", not the "whys". Why is that particular chord used in this section of a song? Why does it sound better than if I used another chord? It comes down to understanding how the different notes, chords and timing values influence our feelings. I think we as aspiring musicians sometimes get intimidated by just how intricate music can be, and perhaps we want it to be harder than it is. Add to that some of the teaching styles we may have experienced when we were younger and it's easy to see why we have our views. The purpose of all that stuff on sheet music is simply to notate how to recreate the notes and the effect the music is supposed to have on our emotions. Fact is, music theory was created and developed over the centuries (by music theorists) in order for people to answer two simple questions,
What I mean is, I know if I feel a certain way, there are songs and entire albums I can listen to make me feel like the artists performing the music know exactly what I'm feelings and empathize with me. Heck, sometimes just listening to a particular band and the style of music they play is enough to move me from one feeling to another. And in fact, whether the musicians knew it or not, that was their goal - to influence how I felt when I listened to their music. You may have noticed the same about yourself, but like so many things, we take for granted what comes naturally to us. I never gave a second thought to my ability to play music by ear - hear it and then duplicate it on an instrument. It wasn't until someone made a big deal about it that I realized this doesn't come easily to everyone. If you want to learn how to make great music - the kind of music that influences how people feel - this is the purpose for learning music theory. By keeping that as the guiding principle in your studies, you should do very well, not only in studying music, but in creating music that people want to listen to. Here is an interesting web page describing the emotional characteristics of different musical keys. At face value it might not mean a whole lot to you, but if you know how to play the chords for each key (or as you learn them with this new awareness), you'll begin to hear the aspects of the notes and how they affect emotions. For further study of this concept, I've started reading "How Music Really Works", by Wayne Chase. The first six chapters are free online, so it's easy to gauge the value. I'm sure I'll have more to say on this subject in future emails. It has certainly stirred up some real changes in my thought process about music, and I'm excited to not only learn more but to begin incorporating this understanding into my own teaching and music creation. Peace~ Dave Dave "Eddie" Vance is a rock guitar enthusiast and gear nut. He has been playing guitar for over 30 years and enjoys tormenting the neighbors every chance he gets. When he's not slaving for the man, you can find him rocking out with his B.C. Rich Bich guitar, a cold beer and some sweet tunes. He also runs Learn-To-Play-Rock-Guitar.com, but you knew that already! Follow Learn To Play Rock Guitar:I welcome your feedback! Did you like today's message? What other topics would you like to see covered in my e-mails? Please let me know at: dave@learn-to-play-rock-guitar.com As always, please feel free to forward this email to a friend! I review products before recommending them. If you buy a product based on my recommendation, I will receive a commission. However, my emails also contain links that don’t require any investment on your part and are jam-packed with "juicy, guitar learnin' tastiness". We don't rent or share your name with anybody. Feel free to forward this issue to any friends you think would enjoy its contents. They will thank you. So will I.
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