hey, welcome to 12tone.
a while back I did a video about what music theory was and what it meant to me.
I had a lot of fun making it and it led to some really interesting conversations with
y'all, so today I wanted to try another slightly more philosophical topic.
I talked about why I study music theory, now I want to look at why I think you should.
I get asked about this every once in a while, and it tends to come from two types of people:
non-musicians wondering why they should care, and self-taught musicians worried that learning
the rules will mess with their personal style.
they're both important, but they're actually pretty different questions, so for this video
I'm just gonna focus on the first one.
if you're never gonna write or arrange a song, if you don't play an instrument or work somewhere
in the industry, why does music theory even matter?
what's the point?
well, the thing is, music is everywhere.
it surrounds us.
it's an inescapable part of our lives.
over the course of your lifetime, how many times do you think you've gone an entire day
without hearing music?
it's on the radio when you drive to work, it's in your headphones when you're at the
gym, it's in the background of parties you go to, movies you watch, and stores you shop
at.
it's worked its way into every nook and cranny of our society, and when we interact with
something that often, it's probably something worth knowing about.
sometimes, though, people are concerned that if they learn too much about technique they'll
lose sight of the art and beauty of music, but I can tell you from experience that that's
just not true.
to quote Carl Sagan, "It does no harm to the romance of the sunset to know a little bit
about it.”
I can tell you a song gave you chills because of a well-placed appoggiatura or a deceptive
resolution, but just because I have a name for it doesn't mean it didn't send a shiver
down my spine too.
understanding theory, composition, and arranging lets you listen more actively, and it gives
you a deeper appreciation, letting you identify not just that something moved you, but how
and why.
it makes you a partner in the experience, instead of just a passenger.
but not all music is technically advanced.
some people worry that learning too much theory will ruin their enjoyment of simple songs,
but again, in my experience, that doesn't happen.
if anything, understanding the complex side makes simplicity more impressive.
I've found I enjoy listening to pop music a lot more than I did before I started studying.
there's a lot of subtlety and nuance that goes into a good pop song: they have to be
completely unique while still sounding like everything else.
it's a really tough tightrope to walk.
there's also a difference between appreciation and passion.
learning theory has definitely made me appreciate jazz more, but if I want to unwind, I'm still
gonna listen to the same Rob Zombie songs I did when I was a teenager, 'cause that's
the music I love.
I didn't lose that: I just found new things I liked too.
and if that's not enough, there's also a utilitarian argument.
lots of different jobs intersect with music, from marketing to film to event planning.
you might have friends in a band, or maybe your son produces a youtube series about music
theory, mom.
there are plenty of reasons you might be interacting with musicians, so even if you don't use it
yourself, knowing how to talk about music has value.
you know, in case you weren't convinced by the whole "surrounding yourself with beauty"
thing.
there is a potential downside, though.
I can't speak for anyone else, but for me, it's become hard to turn my active listening
habits off.
whenever I hear music, I'm deconstructing arrangements, learning melodies, and writing
counterlines in my head.
I can't help it.
it makes listening to music more rewarding, but it also makes it distracting.
listening to music takes effort, and if I don't feel like putting that effort in I can't
really enjoy it.
background music tends to bug me, and I try to avoid it when I can.
on the other hand, I know plenty of composers and musicians who are the complete opposite:
they always want to be surrounded by music no matter what they're doing.
and really, unless you're working with music every day like I am, I doubt this'll be a
problem for you anyway, but it's worth recognizing that learning theory will change how you think
about music.
that's kinda the point.
so what do y'all think?
I assume most of our regular viewers are musicians of some sort, but if you're not, why do you
want to learn this stuff? and if you are a musician, why do you think others should?
I mean, do you think others should? is there a point to laypeople learning our craft, or
should we be trying to scare them away so they don't replace us? let me know your thoughts,
and feel free to share this video if you know someone who still needs a little convincing.
anyway, thanks for watching!
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