>tfw too stupid to understand music theory

ignorance is bliss

You're probably too lazy, not stupid.

Learning theory takes years of consistent, daily practice.

Discipline, focus, commitment, and passion.

There's a steep learning curve at the beginning that feels like you're trying dig a hole in concrete with a spork, but eventually it all starts to slowly make sense. It's like seeing colors for the first time. It's one of the most amazing feelings in the world.

Imagine living in a foreign country for 10 years without being able to understand what anyone is saying and only being able to communicate via hand gesture and body language, then suddenly one day the language just makes sense and your interactions with everyone are immensely deepened. That's what learning music theory, or any difficult discipline is like. It's pretty amazing that most people won't get to experience this sensation because they're too lazy and distracted by stupid vapid bullshit to care about something for more than 10 minutes.

>>73674500
i understand music theory

i get theories about music all the time

music theory doesn't exist

the idea that good music exists is a concept created by marketers to sell records. corporations tell musicians to create music, they create the music as influenced by recent trends, the music is critiqued by the "educated elite" (your musical theorists) who say whatever is required to maximize profits for the person who initiated the process (who coincidentally happen to be exclusively american jews), and the public consumes the product.

all music is just noise. the difference between radiohead and kodak black isn't the music that they produce, but how it is fed to the public through authority figures and corporations.

>>73674500
Its tough to learn something thats completely unnecessary

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>>73675059
You can't be serious...

>>73674617

I've tried to spend 20 minutes a day learning about music theory doing exercises and games and stuff and after a month now I've memorized nothing and I've got 0 understanding of anything.

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>>73675059

>>73675059
damn...

>>73674617
where can I learn it? Don't really have enough money for music school currently and I'm very interested.

>>73674762
kek underrated post

>>73675126
i genuinely believe everything that i wrote, and everything that i may write in responses. my posts are written with good intentions.

>>73675142
>>73675169

Best bet is to probably pick up a basic theory book. You can learn anything on youtube. You don't need to spend a dime. I also suggest you pick an instrument (probably piano would be best) and apply what you're learning into a practical practice. Reading something versus actually physically performing it are two entirely different universes.

I learned on Hal Leonard when I was 12, but I was forced to practice five days a week for almost 9 years. With everything I learned in those years, I've been able to apply it to DJing, music production, learning two other instruments and my own enjoyment of listening to music.

Unlike investing your time into a video game or netflix series, studying music theory is like learning to cook or make films or other stuff. If you incorporate it into your identity and take it seriousy, you will be reaping the rewards for the rest of your life.

>>73675059
I don't think you know anything about music theory.

All artists apply music theory when they create something whether they know it or not. Music is based on math and science, established principles that govern our universe.

>>73675292
I downloaded Hal Leonard's bass book since I'm learning bass, would that work or should I pick up one of his theory books? I have no friends and no job so I have tons of time to practice

>>73675059
This really gets my noggin a-joggin'

>>73675329
Definitely a good place to start. It probably won't go to in depth into actual theory and focus only on bass technique, but it should definitely include some basics. If there's a concept you don't understand type it into youtube until someone explains it in a way that clicks with you. There's only one thing you need to do, work through the book until it all makes sense to you. Set goals for yourself and meet them. Make sure you enjoy yourself. It's hard work at times, but everything in life worth having requires persistent effort. If you don't feel uncomfortable in what you're doing then you're not growing. Comfort is cancer.

>>73675405
Any recs for a specific theory book? I have the basic techniques from that one Toby Rush guy right up to where he starts with chords, but I've only been using his site for around 3 weeks.

>>73675315
i guess if you put it like that, then music theory does exist in the same way that there is endless theory about everything in the world.

why did you put the strawberry on the left side of the plate instead of the right? culinary theory. there are people who genuinely believe that culinary theory exists, and that there's differences in these things. he put it there for the same reason why his teacher did; because it was looked nice.

why did the artist arrange these beeps like this? because the artist thought it sounded nice, but since there's no such thing as objectively good music then a guide to good music doesn't exist. they realized this and exploited it and developed musical theory into something they could sell and you're all buying.

If you can't actually apply what you've learned then it's useless, just remember that

However, that doesn't mean that learning scales/modes/chord structure/progression is useless, it just means you need to spend more time until it clicks

>>73675396
tell me about it, and when you accept that there's no such thing as good music then there's a whole sequence of realizations that follows. it's definitely a rabbit hole.

>>73675453
But why did those beeps sound nice? There is cold science, math, biology, psychology, and a heap of other scientific disciplines involved. Certain chord progressions sound good relative to each other for completely logical and mathematical reasons. People use that scientific relationship as a vehicle for manifestation of self expression, just like any other language. If this self expression resonates with you, this is why you gravitate towards that particular artist.

Look up what the difference between music and noise is.

Good and bad are just words, they're false paradigms created by humans to be able to relate themselves in the physical words to other things in the physical world.

Music exists on a spectrum of completely uninteresting to infinitely interesting, and the only person who can place a particular piece of music on that scale is you.

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Tfw smart enough to know some theory and realize that music should be composed from your imagination because that's the entire point of the artistic process

>>73675557
If you have an expert understand of a language, you are more likely to be able to express yourself in that language better than someone who doesn't.

Obviously there are exceptions. Someone could spend 50 years learning every minute detail of the english language and be completely unable to write a compelling narrative, while an illiterate slave with no knowledge of grammar could let out a speech on the spot that moves millions of people. This is why there are successful musicians with very basic knowledge of music theory.

Generally, though, for most of us a solid foundation on the principles will allow for more compelling creative output.

>>73675615
The thing is, though, that most of your favorite musicians only use music theory as a supplement the core of almost every good musical piece is the human imagination, not a recipe book that was made in the classical era

>>73675615
And btw, what if i told you music theory actually lead to a less varied musical landscape?

Think about all the songs that use basic chords because that's what the musicians "learned" to use

>>73675668
That's a myth. A lot of uneducated people say that learning theory boxes you in. Generic sounding music is a result of lack of knowledge and practice. Also, usually uninteresting people will make uninteresting music. People stick with basic chords because they haven't dived deep enough into their discipline to wield the rest of the language well enough for fluid creative output.

>>73675723
Learning theory doesn't box you in.

Following the mold of music theory is what boxes people in

>>73675736
That's a completely different topic irrelevant to music theory, though.

>>73675750
>Following the mold of music theory is irrelevant to music theory

??

>>73675759
Music theory isn't a mold. It's a tool. You're hopeless. They're rules we've observed, not ones we've created. Like math and physics.

>>73675783
There are definitely "Molds" in music theory. did you even actually learn it? i did

>>73675799
I don't believe you've ever engaged in anything more than passive listening. You have a very pedestrian understanding of music.

There are no molds in music theory, music theory is not open to interpretation. Frequencies resonate in a very static, mathematical way. The way that we exploit these relationships to create musical structures is what you're talking about. By doing so, we create interesting or uninteresting music. Not bad or good. It simply has properties that someone will be compelled to for cultural or physiological reasons or doesn't.

>>73675315
Kek, best thred of thi day

>>73675329
>I have no friends and no job
You should try to get those first before concerning yourself with learning music theory.

>>73675973
I just graduated HS and after this summer I'm heading to college, so I want to get a head start on this while I have the time. I didn't like any of the people at my high school, so I hope that I'll be able to find people that I like at the college. No worries there, and I have a job lined up through my parents for when I get to the college.

>>73675433
Use multiple resources, people have different learning styles. Keep searching until you find something that works for you. You're going to want to quit a lot. At first almost every single session will be excruciatingly painful. You either want to learn it bad enough or don't, no one is going to get past that plateau for you.

>>73676016
Thanks for all the help man, surprised I could get it on /mu/, of all places.

Guys I'm conflicted
Right now I'm in the middle of learning jazz theory and I can create interesting and nice sounding compositions, however this is only through using music theory and seeing what works with it and developing it on the fly
Many musicians are regarded as visionaries and their vision is what makes them great artists and interesting
However I lack vision when I compose
Is this something that needs to be remedied?
What can I do about it?

>>73676059
I genuinely love music and being able to spread that love is my pleasure as a musician. Without it my life would have no meaning or purpose. I would be dead inside like most of our society, blindly ambling through life with no clear direction or intent. I wish you the best, creating music is a lifelong adventure that will definitely enrich your time upon this earth.

>>73676161
If you live a more interesting life you will produce more interesting music. That doesn't mean go out and get blasted every weekend. Sometimes that means staying inside for a whole year and exploring yourself internally, for some people that means exploring the world around them.

The more theory you learn, the more eloquently you will be able to express your life journey in the form of compelling music.

>>73676220
I see, thank you for the advice anon

>>73676178

OP here. I like music, but I can't get that into it. Is that why I'm resistant to learning theory? Should I even bother if I don't like music THAT much? People say I'll learn to like it more if I learned theory but I don't know.

>>73674500
>tfwiktf

>>73676605
You will appreciate it more. When I study music theory, I'm driven by genuine curiosity and a desire to be the best musician I can be in my lifetime.

It depends why you want to study music theory. Do you want to become a famous rock star? Do you think it will make you rich and get you pussy? Those are terrible reasons to get into it and you won't last more than a a few weeks, if that.

If you have a genuine desire to develop a more intimate relationship with the art and science of audiomancy then that will be all you need to propel you past the inevitable and frequent plateaus you will encounter on this journey.

>>73676692
>It depends why you want to study music theory

People make fun of me and call me a pleb because I don't know it. I want to learn so people won't make fun of me and call me a pleb.

>>73675329
don't try to just go learn theory that's dumb. get the alfred piano library books, work through them. then get a theory book and do that if you want. it's a million times easier to learn theory if you already play piano.

>>73676716
You should probably just stop giving a shit about the opinions of others.

Do you think you're a pleb? Do you want to continue thinking that? If not, that's a decent reason to study music.

The only opinion that matters is your own.

>>73676742
>You should probably just stop giving a shit about the opinions of others.

It's hard to think that and feel good when you're alone and have no friends because of your plebbiness.

>>73676772
you don't lack friends because you're a "pleb", you lack friends because you don't make an effort to make friends.

>>73676772
Your opinion of yourself sets the foundation for other's opinions of you. If you respect yourself others will respect you.

Do something that will make you respect yourself and that will cause people to magically respect you as well. Learning music theory may or may not do that for you.

I feel like you need exercise, sunlight, and something to look forward to every day. I don't know how you expect learning music theory to do that for you.

>>73676807

I am trying. I try to talk to people and be nice and friendly, but when they discover I'm a pleb they insult me to my face and try to avoid me.

>>73676772
I can relate.
>>73676807
That's often easier said than done, anon. Life isn't so black and white. Admittedly, breaking out of that cycle will be his own decision to make.

>>73675169
http://www.musictheory.net/lessons

>>73676850
Plebs usually have the most friends.

They avoid you because you have a negative self image of yourself and that makes you exhausting to be around. You also have a victim mentality.

Why would anyone want to be around a negative person?

People are attracted to pomposity.

>>73676834

This one time I did write a song and I worked very hard on it using the little music theory I knew and I was really proud of it but when I showed it to people everyone made fun of it and I had to delete it, but people still come up to me at work singing it making fun of it, and because one of the lyrics was, "Your the cream cheese to my bagel," people keep buying me cream cheese bagel's and making me eat them saying they'll spread rumours and ruin my life if I don't eat them so I have to eat them.

>>73676970
kek. reminds me of this dude i used to work with a long time ago. he tried to start an emo band and failed so hard. i'll try to find his myspace page.

>>73676970
Fuck them. People are trash. They were probably jealous because they gave up on their passions years ago, so seeing you pursue yours made them uncomfortable.

Did you like your song?

That's all that matters.

>>73677023
enjoy this blast from my past

https://myspace.com/angelsoundsmusic

>>73677068
>college station

lmfao

aggies?

>>73676970
wow what a surprise the first song you ever wrote sucked. write more and you'll improve.

>>73677098
yeah, i am unfortunately from that shithole.

>>73676970
This isn't true because no one would unironically write lyrics as dumb as "Your[sic] the cream cheese to my bagel" Please allow this thread to 404, thank you for your cooperation.

>>73677184

It was just a silly love song it was supposed to be funny but not in the way everyone thought it was funny

>>73677293
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvAd33J9-po

I know all the scales and triads plus seventh, diminished and augmented chords in every key, i have no idea how to use them or what else i could be learning.
I know a couple of chord progressions too but i have no idea how to apply them in a non boring way.
Is there some theory that could help me write good melodies, or am i just untalented and fucked?

>>73677441
On the off chance that you're not just trolling you have no excuse for not becoming arbitrarily well-educated on this subject with all the resources you have available to you. Do your research/youtubing and figure it out.

On a side note, my development as a musician went from (no knowledge) -> (basic melodic intuition/creativity) -> (retrospective theoretical analysis) -> (increased sophistication of intuition) [repeat]

Allow yourself to just be creative without a compulsive need for theory at first. But for god's sake don't let anyone hear it until it's not shit. How old are you by the way?

>>73676772
>It's hard to think that and feel good when you're alone and have no friends because of your plebbiness.
I refuse to believe you're for real. Sure, it's a Friday night and you're lonely, but at least make your story believable.

>>73678196
>>73676850
>>73676970
You're at least adamant enough to get replies.