If I have to...

[doragoon]

Ok ok, FINE! I’ll post something. I've got nothing to say, but I’ve been bugged into posting. I’ll give it to you.

A recent attempt to learn a song has reminded me of how I feel about music theory. If I can figure it out, I’ll post a little bit of what I’ve written to explain things to myself.

Comments

[bibliophage]

Having linked from CrystalHall.org, I'm still willing to comment (Lord, this font is TINY. I can't even read it on my screen. Good thing I'm a touch typer)

I'd say that you're limiting yourself severely when it comes to music. Music, in it's true state, is not made up of chords. It's made up of tones. In the standard European tradition, that's in 12 note '"octaves" (of which, only 7 notes are normally used, with the eighth being a repeat of the first - the first note of the next octave). Interestingly enough, they aren't the same 8 normal notes - pipe organs come in two different scales.

Frank Mills, for example, used almost no chords at all in his compositions (the most famous is probably The Music Box Dancer).

So, I'd personally say that you're taking your theories of music from a stringed, strummed instrument viewpoint, whereas I learned in a more classically oriented method. (It's VERY difficult to do a chord with a bassoon or flute)

BW

[doragoon]

I've found that the chords are there even if they aren’t being played. (just for the record, arpeggios ARE chords) Chords are a unit of movement within the song. I've found very few songs that can sustain not changing chords. Usually they are driven by the vocals, either the lyrics or the vocal embellishments.

That all being said, I think it would be helpful for learning how to play the guitar, or piano. I play the flute, so I find my music theory crap as being mostly useful for improvising harmonies. It takes being able to hear the chords in your head without them being played which apparently most people can't do... maybe I’ll write something on that eventually.

[flamingsword]

My knowledge of musical theory is that most rock songs are in E minor, and that C major triad is C, E, and G. C minor triad would be C, Eb, G.

Most of my stuff i can hear the instrumentation in my head, but I can't play or it . . . I should get on learning how to do that. But that won't be 'til next year. Other neccessities are intervening.

[doragoon]

Em is a good key, but i have no clue if it's true that most rock songs are in it. But G being a good easy and common key, it makes sence that people would use it's minor equivelent a lot.

The notes of chords are silly easy. First note is the name. second notes is 4 semitones higher, and the last note is 3 semitones higher than that. To go to a minor, i just think of it as raising the last note by 2 semitones, which for example would turn a C major into an Am, it's minor equivelent.

You should totaly learn to play. it's not hard. I totaly belive that music is being taught to be harder than it really is to make the skill more rare and thus more valueable. If you can hear it in your head, there's no reason you shouldn't be able to play what you hear on in any istrument you want.

[flamingsword]

Also: THANX 4 POSTING!