If you want to be an all around knowlegable musician, there are certain things that will accomplish this and more. One thing in particluar is music theory. For some of you, the term “music theory” can come off a bit intimidating. At one time, even I felt out of the loop when I heard somebody else mention it. But ask yourself this. What can learning music theory do for my playing?

First, for those of you who are not quite familiar with what music theory is exactly, let me elaborate on it.

Technically speaking, “Music Theory” is a studied system of how melody and harmony works in music. It can be compared to how things such as mathematics, science, and even English grammar works. Music theory says, for example, that certain notes go better with certain other notes to form harmony. Keep in mind I did not say “go best with certain notes”, and I will tell you why.

There have been mixed debates between the idea that music theory is the end all and say all to learning music. Some say it is “required” but on the other hand, some also say it is “redundant” for a musician. I frankly don’t believe either of these assumptions. What use is it to settle completely on one opinion of such a topic without realizing that something like music theory is merely a resource to use? Some musicians insist these things because it is either too much for them to comprehend, they think they are better than to need to learn it, or they were taught that those who don’t know it will never be good enough. These are all completely hindering mindsets to have.

Is Music Theory the Law of Music?

Good news! The answer is No. Music theory is not “law”. It is not required and if you don’t follow it, it does not mean you will suck at creating good pieces of music. I have met a number of people who were taught by teachers who insisted that in order for them to be able to play properly, they have to know music theory. In turn, the student is brought up with a hindered ability to properly critique other musicians (and even bands). If something sounds even the slightest bit out of mathematical order (melodically and/or rhythmically), it normally will not register as anything else other than “the music is incorrect”. How is music “incorrect”? In all consideration, the musical piece at hand could have very well been designed to purposely sound the way it sounds for one a many reasons.

In many cases, those who rely completely on their own musical intuition can create and hear things in music that those who rely primarily on music theory cannot: fact.

Is Music Theory Just An Excuse To Look and Sound More Skilled?

It certainly should not be. Music theory is more often than not learned by people such as classical guitar players. These kinds of musicians have to go through very specific disciplined lessons in order to play what is put in front of them properly. It should not come off as if they are trying to show off, and if it does, what they’ve learned is not authentic. Every theory-taught musician I have ever known has demonstrated impressive maturity in their playing. Learning in this manner is a bit like learning a martial art. You are not learning it to show off to your friends. You are learning it as a means of subjective focus and expression. In this way, it’s impossible for it to be considered unnecessary or redundant.

So What is the Purpose of Music Theory?

Realistically, music theory should be known and used as simply a helping guide to knowing how you want to put your music together. Although it is not mandatory for any musician to be good, it is an extremely beneficial system to know about. It provides a surplus of knowledge for all musicians whether novice or expert in improving play and coming up with great ideas for your own songs.

Think of music theory as a tool box to use any time you need to construct a piece of music. It is full of many kinds of mechanisms to refer to for all kinds of different sounds and rhythm. It can often be used if you’re not sure how you want a certain part of a song to sound. Reaching into this box, you can take out different things to experiment with and test out. If something doesn’t quite work for the piece, then you can try something else out of the box.

The Benefits of Adopting Music Theory

Knowing music theory gives the musician an arsenal of benefits and knowledge about the music they want to make. On top of that, it has the power to optimize the quality of play to the audience. It is no different than book knowledge and street knowledge. Having either could never be deemed as redundant or useless, but it is possible for one to survive without being an expert in them. In the end however, it is ALL a matter of preference. A musician is still quite capable of creating outstanding works of music without needing music theory. In this case, what I like to call “musical intuition” is used. Musical intuition is a naturally created system of personal rules or guidelines that the musician has at their disposal. In this way, they simply know what they want to make and what they need to do to make it sound the way they want without any universal definitions of harmony, melody, and rhythm.

If you ask me, I like to have a bit of both. I have a great independent system to rely on for my own sound, but I also love having at least a decent knowledge of actual music theory to refer to anytime I am extra curious. To be honest, a lot of my own musical intuition was actually born from basic theory I had picked up over the years. After All, the fact is, no matter how much of your own intuition you rely on without strait music theory, you still are using some form of music theory of your own. And that theory could not have been created without first learning at least something basic in actual music theory in your years of learning.

If your serious about being a complete and  rounded out musician, music theory has what you’re looking for. It is not incredibly difficult to learn and as you get better, the harder aspects of music will seem like nothing to learn. It will accelerate you’re overall ability to learn and play music, and in the end, there won’t be any intimidation when it comes to learning something new. That is the value of music theory. Just keep in mind, it is not a pre-requiset to being a good musician, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.