Coli Musicians, Do Yall really Believe in Music Theory?

[Toe Jay Simpson]

There is a reason why acts like James Mtume, Roy Ayers, Patrice Rushen, Quincy Jones, Donald Byrd, ect when they crossed over into mainstream music absolutely killed it

 

[Fill Collins]

America's first pop star (thru sheet music):

 

[TripleAgent]

I'm not serious about beatmaking, but for sample based boom bap, I think music theory can make you worse instead of better. I've seen several people learn music theory and lose their edge and/or become wack.

 

[Doctor Wily]

Knowing basic theory has helped me a ton in Dj'ing.

 

[staticshock]

bruh......hear me out though.
the way they're playing (ie. puffing their cheeks out on the horns) have nothing to do with music theory. That's a separate category called

Embouchure​

which was more to do with PHYSICAL TECHNIQUE. That is not music theory and i'm not sure what your idea of it is. Music theory is absolutely not the white devil breh. Sure, snobs who solely judge your music by how well you follow rules of theory rather than actually trying to genuinely connect and feel their way through music are uptight fools. There are DEFINITELY pretentious douchebags in the upper echelon and even mid society who do this. That's just how those specific people utilize it though. Many others use it as a source of understanding the universal language of music. That's literally all it is. Patterns and certain ways of using them. Even when you, "add your own spin to it", you can still describe what that "spin" is by.....using music theory.

To clarify, absolutely nothing you talked about in that video has anything to do with music theory. They and other musicians are absolutely using music theory even if they have no idea they're consciously doing it.

Not speaking about you, but I generally find that it's people who always dismiss music theory are the ones who do not know what it is.
Even if you play by ear? you're subconsciously using music theory.

“Music theory is frequently concerned with describing how musicians and composers make music, including tuning systems and composition methods among other topics.”

Foh trying to sound holier than thou. I played trombone from age 12-26.

I literally told Kola theory is understanding why music sounds like it is (notes, chords etc) & I said he can add his own shyt like how we do at HBCUs.

How you play is definitely apart of music theory.

 

[Dont@Me]

“Music theory is frequently concerned with describing how musicians and composers make music, including tuning systems and composition methods among other topics.”

Foh trying to sound holier than thou. I played trombone from age 12-26.

I literally told Kola theory is understanding why music sounds like it is (notes, chords etc) & I said he can add his own shyt like how we do at HBCUs.

How you play is definitely apart of music theory.

describe what you mean, because how you physically interact and engage with the instrument (ie. "puffing cheeks") has nothing to do with music theory.
You seem very defensive over me disproving your statements. I'll be happy to change my perspective if you persuade me and explain.

 

[Why-Fi]

its boring to me, but whatever i could be bothered to learn helped

 

[Admiral Ackbar]

OP, you may just be blessed with an ear. Like it or not, what you're playing fits in with music theory, you just don't know it.

 

[Artificial Intelligence]

Nah I just go by vibes breh.. I don’t know theory or notation

 

[Pazzy]

I tried playing guitar, but it wasn't any luck due to the fact:

• Couldn't find anybody to help me with the basics
• The douchebags at a music store in Philly acted like pompous asses to hook a marsupial up
• Wasn't the proper shoe to fit

Right now I'm learning chords and messing with synths since I have always loved the synthesizer sound. Don't know the notes off hand, but are familiar with the melodies.

Try again. The basics is easy to get but you gotta practice. Think its one of those practice until it sticks type of things like driving. I gotta get back into my guitar again. Before the pandemic, i was on my way. Actually was playing the beginning of crazy train but that was help with lessons and practicing for days. Ive owned a guitar for 20 years.

Also that metronome shyt is important too. Playing along with it does help build rhythm when it comes to playing. If i could focus more, i woulda been an avid guitar player already. Im lazy af and cant seem to keep an interest enough to get it pat for shyt. Must be adhd.

 

[downtheline]

This is really easy and helpful for songwriting/making music.

Circle of fifths - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

"The circle of fifths organizes pitches in a sequence of perfect fifths, generally shown as a circle with the pitches (and their corresponding keys) in clockwise order. It can be viewed in a counterclockwise direction as a circle of fourths. Harmonic progressions in Western music commonly use adjacent keys in this system, making it a useful reference for musical composition and harmony.[1"

The fifth is just that, the fifth note in a scale. Really common and used in alot of stuff.

Scales and modes are good to know, but again, keeping it simple makes it easier to digest and apply


Every song (for the most part) follow this for songwriting. There are exceptions, of course, but for Pop music it is pretty much a necessity. You can get into the weeds with it and be a huge music theory a$$hole, but all this stuff can be made simple.

If your goal is to play in bands, check out this website;

wikiloops.com | Free Backing Tracks | Online Jamsession

The open wiki for Backing Track Collaboration since 2011. Easily find Jamtracks missing your Instrument and Play-Along. Join the international Musical Collaboration by sharing your own home-recorded Remixes.

www.wikiloops.com

It is all backing tracks to different styles of music. You can record as long as you have some sort of software. The ability to strip the track down to just drums/keys/guitar is great. Alot of fun, and you are learning in the process for what works and what doesnt sound quite right


This is a great thread

 

[The Intergalactic Koala]

Try again. The basics is easy to get but you gotta practice. Think its one of those practice until it sticks type of things like driving. I gotta get back into my guitar again. Before the pandemic, i was on my way. Actually was playing the beginning of crazy train but that was help with lessons and practicing for days. Ive owned a guitar for 20 years.

Also that metronome shyt is important too. Playing along with it does help build rhythm when it comes to playing. If i could focus more, i woulda been an avid guitar player already. Im lazy af and cant seem to keep an interest enough to get it pat for shyt. Must be adhd.

I'll probably get back to it one day. It's baby steps with learning synth and audio production.

 

[Regular Developer]

The main thing about theory when it comes to art, is that its there to help guide you down paths other people have already struggled or spent a lot of time figuring out, so you don't have to. You can build on top of that, use it to find your own path, or completely ignore it. But with art its entirely up to you. But its why people tend to get made fun of for going to college for some type of art degree. You can't teach someone to be an artist

 

[IIVI]

The main thing about theory when it comes to art, is that its there to help guide you down paths other people have already struggled or spent a lot of time figuring out, so you don't have to. You can build on top of that, use it to find your own path, or completely ignore it. But with art its entirely up to you. But its why people tend to get made fun of for going to college for some type of art degree. You can't teach someone to be an artist

Yup, basically this.

Best way to put it.

 

[staticshock]

describe what you mean, because how you physically interact and engage with the instrument (ie. "puffing cheeks") has nothing to do with music theory.
You seem very defensive over me disproving your statements. I'll be happy to change my perspective if you persuade me and explain.

You’re focusing on me talking about puffing cheeks when my main point in that post was HBCUs don’t follow “traditional” music theory. My entire post was dedicated to how when I marched in college, we (SWAC marching bands) purposely did things our way (arrangements, instrumentation, voices, etc) yes, embouchure isn’t technically music theory but that wasn’t what my post was about.

You’re trying to embarrass someone and you’re missing the complete picture of what I’m saying.