Everything is Broken - new turdtastic original

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philbagg said:
It's not like music theory takes the emotion and feel out of it.
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It sure can though. I'm not anti theory pre se, but I'm against it for me, and I'm against people abusing it. If you know theory like a second language and you can use it without even thinking about it, then get after it. The problem arises when people that only know a little fill their songs with unnecessary shit just because they can.

Theory won't make my songs any better and it won't make me a better player. I am what I am. I'm Popeye!
 
XLR said:
Good work dude. Drumming, arranging and mix balance are excellent.


Agreed. Knowing theory has no affect on whether or not your playing or recording actually sounds good.
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Thanks dude.
 
Greg_L said:
The problem arises when people that only know a little fill their songs with unnecessary shit just because they can.
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Exactly!! I've always felt this way. Even when I studied music in "high school" (:p) we'd be listening to classical music. The teacher saying "this ends in a five-to-one cadence and uses syncopation etc. etc."

Well... so fucking what? It still sounds like shite. (I love classical music, but not the "theory for the sake of theory" kind)

I know theory, I either use theoretical rules in my writing, or I use it by breaking the rules. Either way, I won't put something in the song unless it sounds good. And that's what writing music is about.
 
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philbagg said:
(I love classical music, but not the "theory for the sake of theory" kind)
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I play classical music. And I know theory. Curious as to what pieces of classical music you'd classify as "theory for the sake of theory".

To me there's just music that I feel and music I don't, within all genres. I might notice when listening that a piece has a sequence of secondary dominants, or is a classic blues progression, or is a theme and variations, and the like, but that kind of thing is secondary and has nothing to do with the artistic expressive connection. It might help me if I was trying to play along off the cuff, since it would give me easy cues as to pattens or structure. And it helps in learning to play a complex composition. But has nothing to do with whether or not the music is expressive. Personally I've never heard music that hit me as being theory-derived, except for computer generated music, and student composition assignments.

Maybe we need a theory forum. No, just kidding. Bad idea. Every thread about theory at HR ends in an anal flame war, heh.
 
XLR said:
I might notice when listening that a piece has a sequence of secondary dominants, or is a classic blues progression, or is a theme and variations, .
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I'm really glad I don't notice shit like that.
 
Greg_L said:
I'm really glad I don't notice shit like that.
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Haha. One of my conservatory classmates way back when told me he kind of regretted getting a degree in music because it made him so analytical that it interfered with his ability to enjoy music that he would have before he became so intellectual. Poor bastard. Lucky for me I have no intellect to interfere.:D
 
Lol. Music theory has absolutely nothing to do with intellectualism. :laughings:
 
lol @ even thinking of arguing about intellectualism with a punk rocker:laughings:
 
How many punk rock drummers does it take to change a light bulb?

One. But he'll go through 5 bulbs before he realizes they done push in.:laughings:
 
XLR said:
How many punk rock drummers does it take to change a light bulb?

One. But he'll go through 5 bulbs before he realizes they done push in.:laughings:
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They "done" push in? Good one, mr intellectual! :laughings: :laughings:
 
95% of the theory I know have come by the absorbtion/osmosis method.
Structure, cadence & cascade (sorry - glib King Crimson pun attempt), harmony, counterpoint, rhythm & arrangement from listening to LOTS of music.
I unconsciously & consciously apply these things to what I attempt to write.
Unfortuantely for the real world I spent a lot of time listening to Schoenberg's atonal period & what fits the comfort zone in my head, (where theory meets the need to practice - whoops another bad attempt), rarely matches sensory stroking in the lobes of others.
On the other hand I'm a seriously poor player so that doesn't help much either.
Now, where was I?
Fear of feary belies, (or is it: is belied by?) the feary internalized by repeated exposure or sumphin loik dat!
Drum Rudiments!!!
Isn't that when you're playing with your **** out?
 
rayc said:
95% of the theory I know have come by the absorbtion/osmosis method.
Structure, cadence & cascade (sorry - glib King Crimson pun attempt), harmony, counterpoint, rhythm & arrangement from listening to LOTS of music.
I unconsciously & consciously apply these things to what I attempt to write.
Unfortuantely for the real world I spent a lot of time listening to Schoenberg's atonal period & what fits the comfort zone in my head, (where theory meets the need to practice - whoops another bad attempt), rarely matches sensory stroking in the lobes of others.
On the other hand I'm a seriously poor player so that doesn't help much either.
Now, where was I?
Fear of feary belies, (or is it: is belied by?) the feary internalized by repeated exposure or sumphin loik dat!
Drum Rudiments!!!
Isn't that when you're playing with your **** out?
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Ray, I love you bro and you're one of my favorite HR members, but I have no idea wtf you just said. :D
 
I agree with everything you said XLR (until the anal flame war ensued :p)

I kind of feel a bit like your friend with the degree sometimes, and it's been even worse since I took up sound engineering.

I can't listen to a song now without subconsciously working out the notes of the instruments in my head (I'm a guitarist so I hear the notes, then see where I'd play them on the fretboard in my head) and working out rhythms and seeing them on mental staves. Now, not only am I doing that, but I'm also hearing frequency, effects, stereo field etc. that I wouldn't have noticed before. I love being able to work out this stuff in my head, because it can work as a huge advantage in learning, writing, and recording/mixing, but sometimes I just wish there was a switch to turn it off so that I could just listen to the music and enjoy it.
 
Dude , nailed it again....can't nit your stuff man...just rocks! Inspirational.
Makes me wanna stop what I'm doing and jam/record/write something right now!
You definitely "get it".....and "bring it" every time!
 
queepy said:
Dude , nailed it again....can't nit your stuff man...just rocks! Inspirational.
Makes me wanna stop what I'm doing and jam/record/write something right now!
You definitely "get it".....and "bring it" every time!
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Thanks dude. Your original stuff is great. I always look forward to new queepy weirdness. Get on it man! :D
 
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