Music Theory is bad for music, amirite?

I am a music producer and I'm pretty damn good at writing melodies and I know a lot about music so 🤷‍♂️

by Fantastic_Entry3665 1 day ago

You write melodies using what..?

by Turbulent_Call_747 1 day ago

So those instruments are already built off of western music theory. It is fine to not reference music theory or learn it, but you are "using it" inadvertently either way haha It can also be useful for other purposes, like if you want someone to play along with your songs live, it would be helpful to be able to describe the music to other people I am a music producer too, I don't really actively reference music theory very often but learning a bit of it has upped my game a lot!

by Turbulent_Call_747 1 day ago

but I love what I've created so far I bet nobody else does!

by choppe 1 day ago

And? I should go touch grass?

by Anonymous 1 day ago

you're 17, i'm sure you've got a lot of work to do still. i mean this as respectfully as possible

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Music has been my passion since I was 13 and I know how to play drums and guitar and piano so I naturally switched to music production on fl studio and I already know how to write in all of those instruments and I may have an ego but I'm better than most of the producers I see on the internet.

by Fantastic_Entry3665 1 day ago

okay, i've been passionate about music for as long as i can remember. and i agree, a lot of producers on the internet are mediocre at best, and very overhyped. but if this is your genuine perception of music theory, you do not know as much about music as you think. music theory isn't intended to limit anything, nor is it intended to be followed like a set of rules, it more or less just explains why certain things sound the way they do + why people generally enjoy them. a lot of it can be picked up without any sort of training, because it is still fundamental to music, because that is simply how music works. would you also say that grammar is bad for language, because it restricts the sentences you can make? granted that's more strict than music theory, but still, wouldn't that be ridiculous? ETA i'm curious to hear your work btw, if you're comfortable sharing

by Anonymous 1 day ago

I naturally switched to music production on fl studio LOL "I have been messing around with Finale and Garage Band so I know way more than those other nerds"

by choppe 1 day ago

and I may have an ego but I'm better than most of the producers I see on the internet. Ya, that's the problem. 1, you're using your own metric, as if there is no conflict of interest, adding in your admitted ego, there's no way you're making a fair judgment. who you see on the internet is not a random sample. You most probably are only looking at those not "better than you" in your own head.

by Parking-Marzipan 1 day ago

HAHAHAHAHA!! 🤣

by cristopherdougl 1 day ago

"writing notes that are clearly off" is just a misunderstanding of music theory. Theory can explain why those notes sound good even if they are not in the key of a song. It is not a rulebook exactly, it is just a way to understand music. This reads like someone who just discovered music theory If I completely disregard music theory and make some experimental song, someone can still use music theory to explain the song. Also music theory can be referenced to make good music, not every song needs to be completely unprecedented, that is actually very rare and a pretty bizarre standard. Some progressions work well to make great music, even if the progression is used a million times before

by Turbulent_Call_747 1 day ago

Yeah, it sounds like you don't know what music theory is. +1

by Anonymous 23 hours ago

OP confirmed this, and doubled down with "I'm better than most of the producers I see on the internet"

by Anonymous 23 hours ago

like writing in a specific key but you don't even have to learn that. You will probably naturally realize that when you try to write a melody and there are notes that are very clearly off So, you would use music theory. It would be like saying "learning to cook is useless, you'll just figure out what tastes good". Yes, eventually you can figure out what tastes good through experimentation, but in doing so, you are just cooking. And no, music theory does absolutely not enforce any kind of strict formula.

by Orvalyundt 22 hours ago

This insecure dude just lost a gig to someone who actually knows what chords are

by Gislasondorothe 22 hours ago

I'm talking about the people who tell everyone you have to learn music theory before making music. Because you definitely don't

by Fantastic_Entry3665 22 hours ago

Most people who know music theory are terrible at writing music and then like half of the famous musicians know nothing about music theory

by Fantastic_Entry3665 22 hours ago

I mean...you kind of do. Chord names, note names, time signature... all elements of music theory, and you can't really make music with other people without that basic knowledge.

by Old_Mess_6056 21 hours ago

Insanely terrible take lol

by Possible_Sell_234 21 hours ago

Music theory is breaking down music into mathematical language. You can then apply your own artistical style to this language and make your art. Music theory is very good for music.

by Anonymous 21 hours ago

This is a very popular take for music majors who flunked out after one semester.

by choppe 21 hours ago

Not really, it just sounds like you have a hard time with music theory.

by Anonymous 20 hours ago

I agree that music theory isn't everything, to a certain extent writing good music relies on natural ability and some musicians can become very proficient without formally learning music theory. But there are lots of examples of musicians taking their ability to the next level once they learn some theory. So I would disagree that it's ‘bad', it almost never hurts but it's certainly not everything.

by Anonymous 20 hours ago

For me when I try to use music theory I just get a headache and I end up writing a riff that sounds like a commercial jingle.

by Fantastic_Entry3665 20 hours ago

Music theory is great for music. Nobody said you had to follow all the rules perfectly but knowing the rules means you know how to break them

by Madelinejaskols 20 hours ago

Music theory isn't for making music sound good. It's for troubleshooting when it sounds bad

by Lumpy-Pineapple-3154 20 hours ago

knowing what a perfect fifth is, is literally the bare minimum lol.

by Anonymous 20 hours ago

I used to think like this when I sucked at guitar lol

by Anonymous 19 hours ago

Just practice your instrument and try to learn about what's going on. I promise you the sooner you try and learn theory the better.

by Anonymous 19 hours ago

Cage and Ligeti just casually backing out of the room. Not even gonna touch this one.

by Anonymous 19 hours ago

You are not absent of music theory. I know for a fact you are not just randomly pressing piano keys or guitar strings, you actively know what chords are. Guess what, that is music theory. Chords are a huge factor of music theory. And I know for a fact you learned it a long the way of learning music. Even if you only know a sliver of it, you do know it. Even if you're self taught, you are self taught from the internet that taught you the basics of chord and tempo.

by Parking-Marzipan 19 hours ago

Music theory is more of a language to communicate ideas and to explain why things sound a certain way. It's not a set of rules one has to follow in order to write music. You say you're a producer who writes music. What would you tell another musician if you wanted them to play a C chord? You'd probably say "Play a C chord on this beat of this measure." Guess what, that's music theory. Furthermore, an understanding of music theory can help you come up with ideas you wouldn't have otherwise. Say you're working on a chord progression and you realize you're ripping off another song. You can use music theory to help you find ways to make it sound more original while still keeping the vibe of the original idea. Writing music without theory is fine, but it gives you a much better understanding of what you're doing and why it works.

by Anonymous 18 hours ago

Wears a tshirt that says Suck On THAT Berklee! 🤘

by Jeradklocko 18 hours ago

So is grammar bad for writing because it "cripples individual expression and makes everything sound the exact same"? I guarantee every song you've written uses music theory you just don't know it. I bet you have a certain number of beats in a bar, I bet you have a chord progression, I bet you have a tempo, I bet it's either in a major or minor key to name a few. Music theory isn't a formula. Music theory is almost its own language that musicians use to communicate with each other so they can make music. There's plenty of fantastic composers out there who push music to its limits in almost every genre of music. Sondheim in musical theatre is a good example of this. His music reflects the character's emotions, foreshadows events, tells a character's true intentions all through music. He was strict with his music theory because that's how he made it sound great despite how complicated it is. He loves accidentals and he uses them to convey so many different things but they only sound good because of his knowledge of music theory. You absolutely do not have to learn music theory in depth but being able to read sheet music, what time signature something is in and having a rough idea of keys is still music theory and will help you out a lot.

by Anonymous 18 hours ago

I think like with any form of art, if you just stick to the rules you are less likely to make a masterpiece. But you are probably less likely to make a disaster too.

by Far_Key5632 17 hours ago

This is even an opinion. It's just wrong. Awful take.

by Actual_Disk8502 17 hours ago

Music theory is the theory of what sounds good to the human ear. You can make all the original music you want, but if it ignores these principles it just won't sound good. Punk is probably the only genre that can ignore it.

by Anonymous 17 hours ago