How important are scales and theory in your guitar playing?

Do you use theory and scales in your guitar playing?

  • Total voters
    110
Capt Hair said:
Music theory is only one, and sometimes very limiting way, of thinking about music and composition and how notes relate.
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*beats head on wall*

I repeat, music theory is descriptive! The fact that you use terms like "polymodal" means that you are using theory to describe a musical practice. You can't say "polymodal chromaticism violates music theory". You can say "polymodal chromaticism violates the rules of classical four-part harmony", but in order to say that you must first use music theory to describe what both of those systems are.

This thread is a plague o'er the land :rolleyes:
 
mshilarious said:
*beats head on wall*

I repeat, music theory is descriptive! The fact that you use terms like "polymodal" means that you are using theory to describe a musical practice. You can't say "polymodal chromaticism violates music theory". You can say "polymodal chromaticism violates the rules of classical four-part harmony", but in order to say that you must first use music theory to describe what both of those systems are.

This thread is a plague o'er the land :rolleyes:
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That's really a good point. The music came first and the theory was devised to be able to communicate what was happening in a written form. Most notably JS Bach was analyzed and they'd make a 'rule' out of things he did a lot and things he never did were against the rules.
And as music progressed .... so did the theory that came next.
That's western music of course.
And to make it easy to see that harmony is a fluid thing that can change with the individual's perception, look at eastern music which has a VERY different reaction to micro tonalities and close intervals.


However ....... I do think there's some truth to the idea that young musicians coming up can get to where they're playing according to the theory rules because many people DO consider them 'rules'.
I see them at jazz clubs a lot. Absolutely BLAZING but boring. Just a series of excercises.

I'd much rather hear sloppy as a player pushes his/her limits.
 
Music theory for the rock and jazz musician should be very simple: can you read a chord chart? No? Well, you might be a great player--no, you better be a great player, because otherwise you will annoy everybody else to the extent that they don't want to play with you. Bonus points if you can transpose on demand.

If you take your evil chord chart knowledge and use it to select a scale for each chord in the changes for your solo, well no one can help you. Try playing a melody that's in your head instead.

Of course a traditional part of the study of theory is sight singing and ear training, which are really the same thing.
 
I prefer to say, "you know that chord where you put your middle finger here and your ring finger there, and then you move your pinky like there? Yeah, that's the key the song is in" :D
 
yeah ..... I actually run into a different thing ..... convincing people I don't need them to tell me the key or the chords. They usually screw up playing trying to tell me chords and they frequently tell the wrong chords.

Is it really that uncommon for someone to be able to jump in and play with no info?
I mean .... it's what I do but I have a hard time believing that so few others can do that.
 
I've never learned any theory stuff. Never learned the proper chords after lopping a finger off.
But I know MY chords and I just play by ear.
"Just start playin it and I'll jump in"
That's pretty much where I'm at whenever someone wants me to sit in on a jam or two.
Works fine and sounds good.

Would knowing theory help a dinosaur like me ya think? :D
 
Lt. Bob said:
yeah ..... I actually run into a different thing ..... convincing people I don't need them to tell me the key or the chords. They usually screw up playing trying to tell me chords and they frequently tell the wrong chords.

Is it really that uncommon for someone to be able to jump in and play with no info?
I mean .... it's what I do but I have a hard time believing that so few others can do that.
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pretty much why I quit askin what key they're in.
People are boobs. :D
 
Lt. Bob said:
Is it really that uncommon for someone to be able to jump in and play with no info?
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There are many different musical skills, and different people have different aptitudes.

Some people are adept at recognising and being able to predict patterns . . . so they share the skill you have.

Others find that difficult, but have musical talents in other areas. Some may not be able discern the shape of the song, but once given the chords, can improvise around them brilliantly. Other people are natural harmonizers . . . and so on.
 
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