Panterachat

but i don't think i have the brain for it! each time someone gives me a website to check out I just have a total brain fart! should i just get an actual book and sit down with it or what, people?

do i have to know scales before diving into theory? I've been playing for 10 years and have played solely on feel, never learned a scale!

If you're up for it, I'd say look into lessons. My knowledge in theory was pretty horrible so I gave in and took jazz lessons and it's helped out quite a bit. Working on improv stuff helps because it kind of forces you to learn the "roadmap" so to speak, and just build from there.

I don't really have the time for lessons, nor do I want to spend the money!

My suggestion is to take courses in it at your local junior college or whatever. Having someone who has a degree in music explain the shit to you makes every single bit of difference.

Kellan wrote:My suggestion is to take courses in it at your local junior college or whatever. Having someone who has a degree in music explain the shit to you makes every single bit of difference.

i tried many times to understand theory but never got around to understanding it until i took a class on it. even then, it took about 7 months to get into the swing of it. DONT buy a book, unless its a very easy to read one like "music theory for dummies". the problem with those though is that they don't get too far into theory, unless they have other volumes im not aware of.

Acid Flashbakc wrote:

Kellan wrote:My suggestion is to take courses in it at your local junior college or whatever. Having someone who has a degree in music explain the shit to you makes every single bit of difference.

i tried many times to understand theory but never got around to understanding it until i took a class on it. even then, it took about 7 months to get into the swing of it. DONT buy a book, unless its a very easy to read one like "music theory for dummies". the problem with those though is that they don't get too far into theory, unless they have other volumes im not aware of.

I was actually gonna get that to start. I know all the notes on the fretboard, but with my main band, my guitarist keeps telling me I'd be a lot better if I knew some theory, he's tried to teach me, but he's not a good teacher, so I wanted to grab a book to start off with.

i'd say buy it then, i have it, and its simple to read but like every theory book theres a lot of bullshit.. the first like 3 chapters are just stupid shit about how to find middle C on a piano pretty much, and then towards the end they go waay to into detail about composing melodies... just gotta remember to skip around.

hektik wrote:but i don't think i have the brain for it!

i was gonna say.. i don't think you're smart enough

Start with this and take it with you everywhere: when you're on a break, on the shitter, bored and don't have shit to do, etc. It's a good little book to start with and it's cheap so not much initial investment.

Sit down and write out scales when you are away from your instrument. Randomly choose a key and a mode, for example, and see if you can construct it (like Ab Lydian: Ab Bb C D Eb F G Boom! See? Easy!). Learn the Circle of Fifths. That will help immensely.

The more you work with it, the more all the shit just sort of snaps together and weaves into itself.

A lot of music theory is actually pretty intuitive. There are a lot of complicated terms for really simple stuff I'm going to get some lessons next year, hopefully from a couple of teachers. I'm going to try the guitarist from Sikth for mechanical exercises and improvisation and find a jazz guy to work on harmony and reading..

i took several years of theory classes including AP and college theory. you don't know the meaning of the word tedious until you've had to analyze chord progressions and counterpoint for hours on end.

there are entire books about one chord in Wagner's Tristan und Isolde. why? because people are fucking nerds.

google guitar modes:D all you need to know

i found out i can hear perfect fourths

hippy wrote:i found out i can hear perfect fourths

Listen to too much blues?

Pfl?yd wrote:

hippy wrote:i found out i can hear perfect fourths

Listen to too much blues?

wat

I took music theory and promptly forgot it.

bump

Try teaching yourself piano. It's the best instrument to learn theory on IMO.

Pfl?yd wrote:

hippy wrote:i found out i can hear perfect fourths

Listen to too much blues?

open notes on each string in standard tuning are perfect fourths, ascending from the 6th to the 1st. these are the only 6 notes i can hear and know they are in tune.

I want to learn ice sculpting.

hippy wrote:

Pfl?yd wrote:

hippy wrote:i found out i can hear perfect fourths

Listen to too much blues?

open notes on each string in standard tuning are perfect fourths, ascending from the 6th to the 1st. these are the only 6 notes i can hear and know they are in tune.

Actually, there's a major third in there too.

croninburg wrote:

hippy wrote:

Pfl?yd wrote:

hippy wrote:i found out i can hear perfect fourths

Listen to too much blues?

open notes on each string in standard tuning are perfect fourths, ascending from the 6th to the 1st. these are the only 6 notes i can hear and know they are in tune.

Actually, there's a major third in there too.

That fucking B is always laming up the party.