new outlook on musical theory

chris ivey · Post by **chris ivey** » 3 May 2015 4:02 pm

after many years of playing as a self-taught, non-intellectual, non-reading musician, i've finally found the theory that works for me. of course i've bumped up against, and been intimidated by, well trained musicians alot and from this i've learned something i can now live with.
that is: 'just because it sounds bad doesn't mean it's wrong!'
take that you musical snobs!
ha ha

Ken Campbell · Post by **Ken Campbell** » 3 May 2015 4:25 pm

I like that.

Jeff Garden · Post by **Jeff Garden** » 3 May 2015 4:51 pm

it might just be a harmless tritone...

Mike Neer · Post by **Mike Neer** » 3 May 2015 5:26 pm

One man's bad is another man 'bad!' Depends on which bad you use.

Charley Hill · Post by **Charley Hill** » 3 May 2015 6:16 pm

Chris Ivey for President!

Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 4 May 2015 1:08 am

well probably, but there is another perspective. The late great Joe Pass once said...something like this...you don't need to fill your brain with all that stiff music theory but you do need to be able to discriminate between GOOD sounding music and BAD sounding music and NOT play bad sounding music !

I once studied with a guitar guru in the NE, Link Chamberlain, he also said, yep 11 notes in the scale, they are ALL musically correct (in theory) but two of them sound god awful. The trick is to never play those two notes !

Charlie McDonald · Post by **Charlie McDonald** » 4 May 2015 2:51 am

I must've wandered here from Humor.

Steve Hitsman · Post by **Steve Hitsman** » 4 May 2015 4:50 am

"To study music, we must learn the rules. To create music, we must forget them." (Nadia Boulanger)

Jay Fagerlie · Post by **Jay Fagerlie** » 4 May 2015 5:24 am

...then there is always the adage of "Play it twice, that way they think you did it on purpose".

Joachim Kettner · Post by **Joachim Kettner** » 4 May 2015 6:30 am

"Just because it's pretty it doesn't have to be complicated" is easier to accept for me. But than it has a completly different meaning.

Larry Carlson · Post by **Larry Carlson** » 4 May 2015 7:24 am

Jay Fagerlie wrote:...then there is always the adage of "Play it twice, that way they think you did it on purpose".

Oh...........I am keeping that one.............

Andy Eder · Post by **Andy Eder** » 4 May 2015 7:29 am

Steve Hitsman wrote:"To study music, we must learn the rules. To create music, we must forget them." (Nadia Boulanger)

Well put Steve!

Bob Hoffnar · Post by **Bob Hoffnar** » 4 May 2015 8:16 am

Tony Prior wrote: I once studied with a guitar guru in the NE, Link Chamberlain, he also said, yep 11 notes in the scale, they are ALL musically correct (in theory) but two of them sound god awful. The trick is to never play those two notes !

There are 12 notes in the chromatic scale.

Bob Hoffnar · Post by **Bob Hoffnar** » 4 May 2015 8:28 am

"To study music, we must learn the rules. To create music, we must forget them." (Nadia Boulanger)

This quote is from a person who valued the study of music theory enough to dedicate her life to it.
To use her as a justification of ones own willful ignorance is foolish. Look at the varied list of the worlds greatest creators of music she inspired:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nadia_Boulanger

chris ivey · Post by **chris ivey** » 4 May 2015 8:44 am

i think it's a fun quote. and i've always gone with the 11 note concept also, since octaves can continually reappear.
thanks everyone. this was just a lighthearted post.
jay...of course that's one of my favorites also

...and tony...exactly what joe pass said and the two bad notes from your teacher..that's good.

obviously this was all just a backwards twist from how i really feel which is to heck with theory. .. if it sounds good that's the ticket.

Steve Hitsman · Post by **Steve Hitsman** » 4 May 2015 8:44 am

I study theory assiduously so I hope that "willful ignorance" wasn't directed at me.

Bob Hoffnar · Post by **Bob Hoffnar** » 4 May 2015 9:21 am

chris ivey wrote:i think it's a fun quote. and i've always gone with the 11 note concept also, since octaves can continually reappear.

Geez.... go ahead and count them.

Steve Hitsman · Post by **Steve Hitsman** » 4 May 2015 9:26 am

A Bb B C C# D Eb E F F# G G#

I count 12.

Jay Fagerlie · Post by **Jay Fagerlie** » 4 May 2015 9:32 am

(Chris stopped playing Ab back in the 70s)

chris ivey · Post by **chris ivey** » 4 May 2015 9:36 am

wow...it's hard to believe i could be that stupid for so long!
i was thinking....well, the 12th fret is the octave, right?
at least now we know i'm qualified to be president!

chris ivey · Post by **chris ivey** » 4 May 2015 9:40 am

and my first amendment ratification will be (with credit to tony) to change the scale to 10 notes, thus eliminating the two 'bad' notes!

Steve Hitsman · Post by **Steve Hitsman** » 4 May 2015 9:44 am

Always remember, Chris, the nut is 0 and the new millenium began in 2001.

chris ivey · Post by **chris ivey** » 4 May 2015 9:46 am

i think i must have confused it with the old do re mi fa so la ti do (or however you spell them)
where the 'do' is the octave note. hence 7 tones as opposed to 8. i can't believe in all this time i never counted the chromatics, giving positive reenforcement to the fact that you don't need to study music to be a half-assed musician.

Joachim Kettner · Post by **Joachim Kettner** » 4 May 2015 10:03 am

As a half assed- musician, were you good enough to play with Albert Lee? Now that's funny!
You may not need much theory to play his music, but you need to be a good fluent player.

Jeff Garden · Post by **Jeff Garden** » 4 May 2015 10:14 am

Counting was easier playing with Albert - he used the metric system.