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So it's a hotly debated topic. What's the minimum amount of music theory a musician should know to be able to get by?

Is it important? Is it not? What's everyone's thoughts?

As per usual, i've written a few words about it. But in my experience it's a subject that gets lots of people rather animated!

http://www.lastminutemusicians.com/how_ ... gs/?p=1742


Let the discussion begin!

There's no set answer. It all depends on the type/style of music being played and the player him/herself.
It certainly cannot hurt to know theory.

Certainly need everything to play jazz

None..

Spoken like a drummer!





(that's a joke, glen)

None at all, music comes from the heart, not from a rule book!

Helps. Can't hurt.
On the one hand, it has helped me, more than I could say.
On the other hand, I listen to a lot of rock music. A lot of times, I've seen them on YouTube, or in interviews, saying that they don't even know what the chords or notes are that they're playing. That was not going to work for me. I would have been yet another dude, with a barely used guitar for sale.

Can't say I really know any. I spent my teenage years playing along to guitar tabs while my piano playing sister had music theory lessons every week. Suffice to say I had the most fun.

A *little* music theory will help you play with others, for example if someone says to you 'let's jam on a basic blues I-IV-V pattern in A', do you know what to play? It's simple - A - D - E(7), but if the question is 'Greek' to you, you'll be sitting on the sidelines.

If you are going to write the music = it means everything !@!!!!

If you are going to just play it, possibly slop through it = means very little.

Some theory is a basic requirement. If you know how to play a G chord, a C chord and a D chord you already know some theory. If you know how to play a G pentatonic scale you know a bit more. Music theory is a dirty word for some people but whether you learn it from a book, a friend or figure out for yourself which notes sound nice together, you are building a knowledge of music theory, get over it. Music theory means knowing what to play, technique means knowing how to play it. The absence of either is just noise.

I know and embrace music theory. I just listen to mostly noise.

perhaps part of the problem is that it's referred to as "music theory".

i can't think of any other field where basic knowledge and understanding is referred to as "theory".

a doctor doesn't use "medical theory". car mechanics don't use "automobile theory". dentists don't use "dental theory"......

Depends on the quality of the service you're receiving. I'm sure my father in law would tell you that his doctor and mechanic are practicing in theory.
That reminds me of another thing about the music biz. I've noticed that every level of the biz has embraced the term "kick drum". To me, it's always been a bass drum. Now you see manufacturers, music journalists, product reviewers, and others joining the musicians who adopted this term. Where else would you find a discipline that embraces street slang like this? Wouldn't it be like having the chef at the Ritz Carlton come out of the kitchen to tell you he's prepared some lovely "skwimps" for you?