In depth theory without sight reading

  On 9/24/2012 at 4:48 PM, marf said:

gotcha

if its any consolation to you, Wes Montgomery (legendary jazz guitar pioneer) couldn't read music

BTW just found this series http://www.attackmagazine.com/technique/passing-notes/

It's music theory in the context of EDM. Great stuff!

I've been studying some theory since reading this thread. Can't get my head around meters, but will try a couple of different sources to see if they are explained better.

Most important thing I have wanted to learn, and am learning, is how to move between/out of scales. I didn't know about Neapolitan chords or swapping the 5th and 7th chords in a minor scale to major. Playing something like Cm C# Cm Bdim would never cross my mind before because I used to stick quite rigidly to diatonic notes and chords in the natural minor scale. I used to try playing chords outside the scale but found it difficult.

  On 9/26/2012 at 10:37 AM, slightlydrybeans said:

BTW just found this series http://www.attackmag.../passing-notes/

 

It's music theory in the context of EDM. Great stuff!

Whoa.

Nice link beans!

How I use theory:

Every time I learn a new "theoretical" concept, I try to immediately put it to use in the context of a song. Say one day I learn about the 2-5-1 jazz turnaround, or maybe I figure out how to play a couple 9th chords on guitar. These are interesting things to know, but without music to surround the concepts, they're not THAT interesting. So I use the concept I just learned about and start a track with it. The rest of the track gets built around the new idea, and I don't use much conscious music theory for this part - just my ears, imagination and whatever theory has sunk in so deep that it's second nature. The new concepts are like springboards with which you can dive into new waters, then look around and make something for yourself there. This way I don't get bored writing the same style over and over, though it often takes quite a few tracks or songs to exhaust a new ides's possibilities, and after that, I can incorporate the idea into any other tracks I make in the future.

I always keep a hand-drawn circle of fifths near my studio space, with scribbly notes and ideas all over it. It's a really good diagram to keep near by.

Never was too good at sight reading, but reading musical notation isn't too hard. I just wouldn't be too good at playing from sight during a recital or something. My apologies to all the children in the world that get forced to play dead white guy songs in front of strangers as if that's the fun part of making music. I consider the theory there as a flashlight in a dark room, but the items in the dark room are what really interest me, not the flashlight.

Have fun dudes

Sorry drybeans I never really acknowledged that link btw, thanks man.

Luke, I also like doing that with tutorials. Nice flashlight metaphor.

I think for me my lack of musical theory has held me back. I will openly admit I've been too lazy to learn but I'm taking it seriously now as I need my productions to go beyond simple harmonies.

it is about fun. when i was 12 i was taking piano lessons. i kind of slacked off, but i had a recital coming up of greensleeves. i got all erik satie on that shit, played with inharmonic intervals, let the sustain pedal create a reverb. the audience roared with appreciation. Standing ovation. I go back behind the stage and my teacher was a total dick. he obviously thought i got away without practicing. He failed to see that i wanted something else out of music

If you want a solid musical framework, I dare you to get halfway through Hindemith's Elementary Training for Musicians. I haven't even gotten that far and that book changed my life. It does require a keyboard for some things. Reminds me to get back to it, thanks WATMM!

http://www.amazon.com/Elementary-Training-Musicians-2nd-Edition/dp/0901938165/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1349152500&sr=8-1&keywords=elementary+training+for+musicians