How important is music theory to become great?

[CPhoenix]

All the guys who try to downtalk the importance of music theory, think it again. All these "use my ear" talks are bs. Using your ears and knowing music theory are not alternatives of each other, you use both.

Just because you know music theory, you don't have to limit your creativity in order to make it "right".

If you want to make the best music you can, I don't see a reason why you shouldn't learn it.

yup. what he said

[biggrome]

I'm not arguing that it's a plus to know it and it's GREAT.

It's just not "necessary"... hope people get that part.

Only in Hip Hop and Trance and music like that though...

[SKWIDMARX]

I'm not arguing that it's a plus to know it and it's GREAT.

It's just not "necessary"... hope people get that part.

Only in Hip Hop and Trance and music like that though...

all good rome ... im an expressive dude i respect you opinion as well as anyone else

[CPhoenix]

Why are people referring to "rules" in this thread? LOL.

If you're even mentioning rules.. then there's no possible way you're going to realize why Music Theory is important. Please take the word "rules" out of your head for a split second.

Yes, you can make great sounding music without knowing a lick of music theory. But there comes a point in time where if you want to be the best.. you need to know what you're doing. You need to fully understand what you're doing in order to achieve your full potential. It's the same in any sport. It's the same in science. It's the same in literally anything that involves your brain. Your brain needs the underlying theories of your field in order for it to perform at an optimized level. You think Einstein created the theory of relativity without knowing basic algebra and calculus? LOL.

Music Theory isn't to constrict you to "rules". It's to give you the background knowledge so you can create more freely. Just learning basic scales and chords alone is enough to get you started on a new path that you probably didn't realize you could travel. It's sooooo worth it.

For the argument that "you don't need to know how to build a car to drive it"... that's not proving anything. B/c in this case.. the "driver" wouldn't be the producer. The "driver" of the car would be the "vocalist/emcee/singer". But guess what... if you want to build a car (a producer BUILDS the beat... he/she doesn't drive the beat... he/she builds it)... you better know how to build an engine, transmission, exhaust system, cabin, steering wheel, etc.

Don't come in here with analogies that don't even make sense with the topic.

[biggrome]

How much THEORY went into HIP HOP music from 1988 - 2009?

Did Marley Marl, Primo, Rza, Pete Rock, Dre or anybody else know theory or did they know what sounded good to their ear?

I don't know music theory and I'll shyt on anything C Phoenix makes... how bout that.

Okay I take that back... I don't feel like making anything right now.

[T Prod.]

I'm not arguing that it's a plus to know it and it's GREAT.

It's just not "necessary"... hope people get that part.

Only in Hip Hop and Trance and music like that though...

of course not neccessary. you can be a god given talent who composes like Quincy Jones without knowing what key are you in. or you can sample and have a good ear.

but everybody will think that HIM/HER is the one who doesn't need it.

I just said it as an adivce to everybody. Learn theory, it won't hurt.

I do only composed hip hop, so knowing something about theory is a must for me.

[CPhoenix]

I'm not arguing that it's a plus to know it and it's GREAT.

It's just not "necessary"... hope people get that part.

Only in Hip Hop and Trance and music like that though...

You're right.
It's only necessary if you want to perform as best as YOU possibly can.

It's like that Kobe Bryant interview where he was talking w/ Magic about how he wants better footwork, so he called up Hakeem Olajuwon to teach him some things. Yeah... Kobe's postgame is pretty damn good.. but he realizes he could be even better if he knew what Hakeem knows. So to him... it's worth learning.

It's the same w/ music. Some people are pretty damn good without knowing any Music Theory. But they could be so much better with the knowledge than they are without.

[NoVA Entertainment]

Believe me bro...you keep doing your thing and hammering at them keys, you will develop your own music theory...you already have started.

Here is a tip that helped me continue my development...

Try remixing your old music. Start picking out things that didn't work and keeping things that did work. Improve the quality of some of those sounds, add some layers, sprinkle some delay, take out some frequencies that clutter or muffle the mix.

Take a look at your melodies in a piano roll and start moving some notes around. Extend them, chop them, add some new ones, delete others.

If you don't know how to play piano then just stick to all of the white keys for a while. You can reproduce virtually any western music by just playing with the white keys. Come up with counter melodies. Try sticking with notes that make up the chords being played as you create your new melodies. Then venture off from there.

Everything you have ever done with music should be kept because you can always go back. Whenever you want to learn more...go back first, then go forward.

[T Prod.]

It's just the thread title question which, for me, sounds a lil' bit like ..

"I'm too lazy to learn that f*cking theory, it's unneccessary, right, RIGHT?"

hope you get that

[CPhoenix]

How much THEORY went into HIP HOP music from 1988 - 2009?

Did Marley Marl, Primo, Rza, Pete Rock, Dre or anybody else know theory or did they know what sounded good to their ear?

I don't know music theory and I'll shyt on anything C Phoenix makes... how bout that.

Okay I take that back... I don't feel like making anything right now.

lol this is totally missing the point.

Read my last post, i think i clarified another side of the argument my first post didn't touch on.