do you learn theroy or play just play what you wanna play?

[photon9]

It's also cool going back to theory and realizing what it is you were actually doing like oh that riff was A minor to D sus 7 cool.

[Burningleaves]

Both.

[prolog]

I had to do a fair amount of theory in high school band class (transposing, cadences, major/minor scales, etc), and that's been about the extent of it for guitar. I always try to learn how what I'm doing works, but I don't take RCM theory exams or anything.

[cephus]

 

The funny thing about that is every single person who's taught me all the theory I know, as soon as they're done they say "now just play what sounds good, whether it fits this or not."

 

 

You can't take a shortcut and skip theory. theory allows you to play with other musicians. It's the language. It is frustrating to try and play with someone and have to say "Fifth fret. Move your middle finger".

 

I have played with some really good players who knew no theory. But they are the exception. I have had many a satisfied customer because I could read or write a chart and played lines that fit the changes.

 

I usually play I IV V stuff. I play rockabilly. But it's such wholesome innocent music, when you play outside, you can only play jazzy things. It sounds really out of place if you klang on some dorian mode crap. If you're going to spice it up, there is a very narrow vector of what you can get away with. You need to understand how music is constructed to pull it out of your arse. Trial and error? I'm too old and I have too much to lose.

[b-n-b smash]

 

You can't take a shortcut and skip theory. theory allows you to play with other musicians. It's the language. It is frustrating to try and play with someone and have to say "Fifth fret. Move your middle finger". I have played with some really good players who knew no theory. But they are the exception. I have had many a satisfied customer because I could read or write a chart and played lines that fit the changes. I usually play I IV V stuff. I play rockabilly. But it's such wholesome innocent music, when you play outside, you can only play jazzy things. It sounds really out of place if you klang on some dorian mode crap. If you're going to spice it up, there is a very narrow vector of what you can get away with. You need to understand how music is constructed to pull it out of your arse. Trial and error? I'm too old and I have too much to lose.

 

 

I completely agree, I teach two nine year olds on tuesdays and I have to talk to them just like that. I'm not saying you can skip theory, it is essential in a lot of ways, but I just always laugh when people say that. It's completely true, but after learning all of the theory they had to show me for them to say now forget it and play what sounds good just kinda makes me smile.

 

And yeah, you definitely need some building blocks before you can just pull it out of your arse. The whole point of the "throw away your theory once you learn it" thing is so you don't make absolute rules out of it. A friend of mine just learned all his modes, and he's been playing so strictly diatonic that it's getting really boring to jam with him. You need to know the rules to break them.

[bloolight]

I really didn't start learning any theory until I wanted to write songs for myself. At that point, particularly when I needed to play with other musicians, basic theory became vital. That begin said, I've never really gotten much beyond the basics. I don't have a very good head for theory, so I find it difficult to sit down and learn it.

 

I took a theory class once at a local community college a few years ago, but the professor was a complete douche and I quickly dropped the course. (He wanted us to make silly noises when we were counting time, which served to amuse him more than it served to educate us...I'm too old for that kind of crap, and as a teacher I found his style incredibly irritating.)

[ProGuitarShop]

I learned enough theory to know how much I don't know about theory:confused:

I think for rock playing, you have to balance out total feel of playing guitar with theory. Theory has helped me figure out how to solo correctly, and how to write song. So it's crucial to have some theory.

For jazz and classical, you probably can't get enough theory - but that may be a stereotype. I heard Wes Montgomery was entirely schooled, but he (obviously) was amazing.