Originally Posted by: schmange
I guess the best of both worlds is the person who can learn both ways... however I can only comment on my own personal experience and say that I'm glad I didn't learn any theory until much later. I definitely believe it gave me a deeper understanding of music because it forced me to try things that most students are discouraged from doing simply because their teachers think that it would be too confusing to them to stray from the assigned topics. I was forced into many more years of trial and error, experimentation and listening and feeling rather than reading and copying.

I agree with taking the leap into theory later is a better approach because there are so many things you need to build strength on which takes a lot of time to master them. Focusing on too much at one time can limit your ability to advance in the many levels required to even play the instrument and enjoy it. In due time theory can help by connecting what has already been learned by feel from trial and error through your approach. Let's face it, it's all based upon intervals and how they react by the sequence you put them in. They will either sound awesome, OK, weak or terrible depending on their voicing with the Tonal Center they are built from. Take bending a note or vibrato for example, no theory in the world can make that note jump to the proper interval or pitch desired. You're on your own to make it happen and most that master this effect do it by feel, including the duration and amount of times they use it with their style. Theory definately has it's advantages and I use it continiously in my style because it's right there at my fingertips, but it doesn't create feel. In my opinion, a player with feel can create a great sound regardless of their background in theory, just by knowing what intervals sound best with the progression they're playing.