Originally Posted by: JeffS65While not specifically imperative to the art, since I assume that Blind Lemon Jefferson was not sitting down with his musical theory, I do think it just makes the ability to construct a song all that much easier still.
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I want to use this as a springboard to another point.
Being unaware of theory doesn't make it go away or irrelevant. It simply means that the player doesn't necessarily know how to conceptually identify what he is doing. In order to play you have to know & perform the physical motions and listen carefully. But, it is not absolutely necessary to know "what all those things are called" on an advanced conceptual level and how they relate to one another.
However, on a deeper level, without someone first understanding the theory behind how acoustics, music and musical instruments work in the first place, the person that "can play but doesn't understand the theory" wouldn't be able to do what they do at all.
The person that designed & built the musical instrument had to grasp these things or else the instrument would not function.
Sometimes I hear players talk about their disdain for, or disinterest in "theory" & "the rules". And you know what? Fine, if you can find value in playing music without knowing theory, no problem.
But, let's get a few things absolutely straight.
1. The western musical system of diatonic/chromatic notes is an organized, integrated system.
2. This system conforms to the laws of acoustics (a subdivision of physics) and the physiology of the human ear, thanks to people with enough genius to discover those laws.
3. The only reason guitars (and other musical instruments) even exist and function is that people build them to conform to this organized, integrated system that is music.
Therefore, we are not talking about "arbitrary social conventions" invented by some dead, European white guys that were trying to "oppress us" by making us follow their "boring rules of music".
We are talking about a science that identifies certain laws of nature and makes use of them in a very specific, highly organized manner.
Ultimately, you can play anything you want. But only by approaching it from the conceptual perspective will you be able to understand how it all works. And eventually, to be able to identify what you hear regardless of whether it is in key or out; a "proper", consonant mode or a completely dissonant one relative to the chords you are playing over.
It is valuable to have a systematic method for mentally organizing the sounds that are possible into recognizable categories for future reference.Originally Posted by: JeffS65
Kind of going back to the Blind Lemon Jefferson thing, while probably lacking in actual theory, understood the elements discussed above from being able to do some of the other things you mentioned. Being a student of an art form means, in this case, hearing the elements that comprise the form whether blues, jazz, classical, country etc. It's understanding the elements that make the forms unique.[/quote]
Very well said!
[QUOTE=JeffS65]
The advantage here is that we are on the internet with a wealth of knowledge at our finger tips (..and cheap too!) and can actually fill our brains with that info. I don't need to spend a decade at the Dockery Plantation to understand the form, I can get the concepts in short order and spend the time working on them growing within my playing and becoming part of what I do.
Another great point! This is precisely why a 12 year old little girl can sing a heartbreak ballad without having gone through it herself yet. Or a 6 year old boy can play a breathtaking Paganini violin caprice. It's not magic. It's the ability to grasp, conceptualize & mimic faster & more efficiently.
[QUOTE=JeffS65]
I've spent time such as in the 80's when I was 'serious' about it trying to be unbelievably original. Trying to chart my own path but all I did was write some very blah stuff. It's not until recently that I realize understanding the continuum of ideas is ok that I liked the vibe of stuff I was creating in my head.
I've written hundreds (1,000s?) of pieces of music. It's taken years to create a handfull that are truly, strikingly original. It's not easy. It takes a lot of work, practice, serious thought & effort.
Thanks for your post!
