Why knowing Music Theory is important for everyone!

Music theory is something often times referred to as a set of rules that you have to abide by, and some people even argue against learning theory, as it'll ruin their creativity.

This could not be farther from the truth. First, let's replace music theory and playing an instrument with any other hobby or occupation. It'd be silly to be a car guy who doesn't know about how cars work, or to grow plants and to not learn what plants need to thrive. This is even more true if it's something that brings you joy- anyways let's get into it.

Theory IS a way of describing how notes interact with each other.

Theory IS NOT a set of rules that tell you how to play or what to play.

There's a misconception about when you learn theory, it'll take away your creativity and make you uninspired, so lots of people use that as an excuse to avoid learning. I think it has something to do with how it's taught in school, but if you think about it, all that theory does is tell you what something is. When you have a teacher telling you you're wrong because you didn't identify something properly, it's not because music theory is a rule that says "That has to be THAT", it's because you misidentified something. It's the same as saying you see blue paint when you're actually looking at red paint.

When you're in a safe learning environment, learning theory can be fun! At some points it does feel a bit like math homework, but I had a great theory teacher who helped me learn to truly love theory and its proper use, and I've been lucky enough to get good enough to teach it.

I like music theory because there have been times in songs where I've heard something that was shocking, moving, intense or any other captivating feeling. When I hear something that makes me stop what I'm doing, I have to know what it is! Using music theory as a tool helps me understand what I heard and can help me reproduce something like it in my own music.

Whenever someone says to me that music theory is rules that you HAVE TO FOLLOW, I always laugh- in my head I see myself playing a song and doing something non-conventional, and then some guy with a white wig and an English accent kicks down my door and tells me that Beethoven is rolling in his grave because what I played "broke the rules".

It's just a bizarre notion to me. Why learn how to do something you're passionate about, and not actually learn it! It's like learning how to paint and not knowing what the colors names are, or that red and blue make purple.

When you actually know music theory, you understand what sounds good. All music theory does is tell you the patterns and common practices that create good sounding music. You do not have to follow those guidelines.

When playing with other musicians, you'll want to be able to tell what's going on, and properly communicate with them. Using your ear and being able to tell what's happening is part of learning music theory. This is all important if you're someone who wants to be skilled at any instrument, not just guitar!

You don't have to learn music theory, there are thousands of successful musicians who don't, but I think learning just a basic amount of music theory can not only make learning your instrument more fun, but can elevate your playing ability as well.

If you or a loved one is interested in learning music theory or how to play an instrument, please reach out! We look forward to getting to meet you.