what are the benefits of learning music theory ?

[KENNY DA COOKER]

OP why you single out todays TRAP PRODUCERS?!?

Neither PETE ROCK..MARLEY MARL nor PREMIER or any of those other "SAMPLE KINGS" ever bothered to master Music Theory

They just were NATURAL when it came to LOOPS and DRUM PATTERNS

dem niccaz didnt MUSIC THEORY to work a TR 808 or SP 1200

 

[Raheem95]

All the great ones. Prince, Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Michael, Stevie.

He always had a great love for music and rhythm, even from a young age. He taught himself to play harmonica by the time he was five, which encouraged his mother to sign him up for piano lessons a year later. At eight, he began learning the drums. When not engrossed in his piano practice, he could often be found beating out the rhythm to radio songs on any surface he could find.

 

[puppetmaster]

Knowing "the rules" so you can break them offers an advantage.


Making music is really a feeling based labor though, if you get too scientific with it it'll sound soulless

 

[Raheem95]

Knowing "the rules" so you can break them offers an advantage.


Making music is really a feeling based labor though, if you get too scientific with it it'll sound soulless

i heard Pharrell learned music theory

and are you trying to say that if somebody learns it and after they understand the basics, they should just decide to create what they feel ?

 

[puppetmaster]

i heard Pharrell learned music theory

and are you trying to say that if somebody learns it and after they understand the basics, they should just decide to create what they feel ?

Yup.

Every boxer has their own style but every single one of them started with the basics first to get an understanding of what HAS to happen and what's optional



To a lesser degree the same applies to music.

 

[Grizzly]

how come drop it ?

Because once it's second nature you won't need "music theory" anymore... you'll start to naturally apply the concepts where they're needed instead of forcing them where they might not be...

like someone else said if you get too caught up in "music theory" the music starts to become inorganic... so I say just get a good understanding of it and continue what you were doing BEFORE you learned about music theory

 

[Reebok Jones]

OP why you single out todays TRAP PRODUCERS?!?

Neither PETE ROCK..MARLEY MARL nor PREMIER or any of those other "SAMPLE KINGS" ever bothered to master Music Theory

They just were NATURAL when it came to LOOPS and DRUM PATTERNS

dem niccaz didnt MUSIC THEORY to work a TR 808 or SP 1200

this is what im sayin. trap producers out of any hip hop producers usually are the most musically gifted in creating chords and fully composed songs. they would know music theory over any other hip hop producer

 

[Cryptocurrency Scarface]

Heads, what about music theory for rappers does it make you better?

 

[Hyperion]

Heads, what about music theory for rappers does it make you better?

It would make them exponentially better. They'd know how to pitch their voice correctly for each beat, how to harmonize, even flows can benefit from knowing it. Singers know music theory and I think that's because singing involves a lot more musicality and tonality compared to a typical rapper's delivery. Singers tend to put a lot more focus in their vocal performances, and that's why their vocals sound much stronger than a rapper's. They're doing the proper warm-ups and there's a lot more ground to cover.

I feel like it's beneficial to know music theory. You can learn to play everything by ear, but there'll come a time where you reach a point where you have more complex ideas in your head, but you don't know how to translate that into actual music. Stevie, Michael and especially Prince definitely knew music theory. They're probably more self-taught than by purely just going off what they hear, but they definitely knew music. Kendrick may even know a bit about music himself, considering the amount of musicians he's usually around and the composition of TPAB as a whole.

 

[KravenMorehead™]

You're black, you don't need to break music into numbers and figures in order to understand it. You feel it by nature. Learn the instruments and tools and that is all

 

[Mr.Logic]

Music is a technical art form and the vast majority of great musicians regardless of instruments have a background in theory. Learning MT makes you a way more versatile musician and learning it is a worthwhile endeavor.

(1) Playing an instrument is the "technical" part...The theory is NOT necessary...You are talking "great musicians" from a Westernized bias....The vast MAJORITY of great musicians are not known to Westerners and many of them have not formally studied music theory...

(2) Don't get me wrong, music theory is its own art...If you want your music to be "academic" and quite predictable then learn music theory...Do you need to know the theory of light and all the fundamental colors to be a great painter? NO...

People were doing beautiful paintings long before they new the science of color...

(3) Go to 2'20" of the video below...That kid is playing an instrument he probably created himself, and he probably knows NOTHING about music theory, but listen to the music he is creating...Beautiful...You can tell by his body language that his just feeling it, and not thinking about what chord goes with what scale...

 

[Asicz]

Mobb Deep's musical arangements are counter to what is taught in musical theory but they sound dope any way.

Their music would have suffered if they were taught tradionaly and followed that way.

 

[pon]

NO POINT,

(1) That is just Western Culture making music into some "technical" art form, and that's why White People could never develop the Blues, Jazz and Rock N Roll...Because they were taught "after this chord, then this chord must follow, and when use these chords, you must use these melodies"...

It STUMPS creativity...

(2) It is more BENEFICIAL to learn how to play an instrument with or without the music theory...People in Africa and other parts of the world play BEAUTIFUL music and they don't know SHAT about "music theory"...

All they know what sounds good, and which rhythms elicits what emotions...They play by feel, and that's why the music (in my opinion) tends to be more melodic and hypnotic and even surprising than Western Music...

(3) Conclusion, Music Theory is box, don't get stuck inside of it...Make music according to feeling and rhythm, and keep it simple, that's what people LOVE...

all truth

 

[CHAIN]

Rza's shyt never made much sense from a technical point of view, during his peak.

And then he decided he wanted to learn music theory

 

[DJ Mart-Kos]

Rza's shyt never made much sense from a technical point of view, during his peak.

And then he decided he wanted to learn music theory

LOL, with software all you basically need is a Scale and you can sequence your whole song within it.