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Does having good music theory knowledge make u better at trance?
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| maclean |
Okay so I've seen loads of you guys in here getting in arguments about all kinds of in depth music theory stuff which looks like another language to me. Is it worth having good theory for trance?
I have made some okay melodys in my time usually with some kinda chord progression that I work out with experimentation with melodies on top. I usually can make a four bar chord progression easy but when I want to say make it longer, I find it hard to make it sound 'resolved' if you get me? Would music theory help me here at all?
Essentially I am trying to weigh up whether the effort of learning alot of the indepth theory will actually prove to be of much benifit to my trance music? What do u guys think?
Thanks |
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| gr8ape |
Does being good at music help with creating music?
yes
edit: you might want to learn piano, learn a few classical pieces, and find classical artist you love (not everyone likes mozart, my personnal favorite is Debussy), trust me it will inspire you in ways modern music wont |
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| cryophonik |
| quote: | Originally posted by gr8ape
Does being good at music help with creating music?
yes
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Exactly.
Whether you realize it or not, if you have arranged notes into an organized manner that can be recognized as music, you've employed music theory. If you want to improve, yes, music theory will help you better understand what you're not getting and therefore will help you improve. |
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| KilldaDJ |
| my theory is - if it sounds good, it'll do. |
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| gr8ape |
| quote: | Originally posted by KilldaDJ
my theory is - if it sounds good, it'll do. |
I completely agree but the question is how do you work up to "good"?
good doesnt magically appear from hitting random chords so....thats where a theoretic and more sober knowledge of the thing helps |
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| RichieV |
| theory will help but there is a steep learning curve and it does kill a bit of creativity in the beginning. You tend to learn a specific pedagogic way to voice chords and it takes a few years to harness theory and then internalize it so it is just a tool and not a complete way of thinking. But once you learn it well , you don't have to fumble around trying to get a melody. You just write like a good writer has a grasp of great words and grammar and just writes without thinking. No fumbling around trying to find something that works. |
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| KilldaDJ |
| quote: | Originally posted by gr8ape
I completely agree but the question is how do you work up to "good"?
good doesnt magically appear from hitting random chords so....thats where a theoretic and more sober knowledge of the thing helps |
well, hitting random chords wont sound good so no lol
i suppose you really need to know how to play songs to get an idea of what sounds good, for example chord progressions, i was learning these when i was playing rhythm guitar, playing beatles songs over and over again and after a while, you get it. ahh Am going to C sounds nice, where can i go from there? G? F?
or in a descending manner...Am G F E
it'll probably make more sense if you're sat in front of a piano and jamming away, as for the whole theory part on paper, i havent a ing clue LOL all these I's and V's and VII's :conf: :wtf: |
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| Bren-F |
It's one of the first things I always recommend to anyone considering taking up producing.
Learn musical theory. Even just the basics. Learn basic notation, keys and chord progression.
I've lost count of the number of people who have excellent production/technical skills but have no clue on how to lay down a melody.
In short, yes. It will help you regardless of the genre. |
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| Terrence Parker |
| I remember whenever BT gets asked for advice for aspiring producers he always answers "Learn music theory and listen to lots of different music". |
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| Sonic_c |
to put this into context i made trance for 2 years with no success.
After literally in the hours after my first theory lesson i was messing around with intervals in Bb minor and made a track out of it.
That track went global ministry of sound played it, radio one played it in uk. I got asked to be a guest dj on the radio. I was special guest in a spanish music chatroom the lot. For me theory was 'the' one thing that made me understand. Now even though i don't play keyboard or guitar i can in 'theory'. I love theory and i get a sense i haven't even scratched the surface after 18 months study. |
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| DigiNut |
Knowledge of music theory makes you better at music. Trance is music. Therefore, knowledge of music theory also makes you better at trance.
I'll have to double-check my proof there, but I think it's correct. |
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| RichieV |
theory is sort of formative and prescriptive. So unless you really learn it and learn how it came about and then understand why people diverted from it, it can cause you to write really pedantic music. It takes years to really truly gasp it.
I think that most great producers don't really know much about theory and do alot by ear. ALot of the master composers did not study harmony and had no training for chordal succession. They formed their own framework which is essentially what theory is. But then there are those that completely ignore it and did great stuff. Think Debussy and Stravinsky. |
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