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Ask HN: How Can I Learn Music Theory?

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Re: Ask HN: How Can I Learn Music Theory?

#21
I've played guitar for almost 18 years and bass for roughly 5 years and also went to community college for theory and private instruction. Since then, I have recorded, played shows in various genres, and have toured the US and few places in Canada and Mexico.

You need to be able to find time to synthesize learning how to read music, playing music that challenges you but is within reach of your ability, ear training, and music theory.

You don't need to do this in a learning context, but playing with other people (especially if it's music you are learning) is a great magnifier in my experience.

I would recommend trying to learn new songs while also learning intervals, major/minor pentatonic scales, basic modes, scales, modes, chords, and arpeggios.

Counting rhythms is a little tricky to learn on your own. If you can, I would take a theory class or 2 to learn this; however, YMMV.

I used to be obsessed with this stuff, but I feel like it's not really important. It's sort of like the periodic table: you can memorize all of the factual information, but I would argue that what is really important is understanding the interaction of various elements. The table is a reference; it is not chemistry itself.

Re: Ask HN: How Can I Learn Music Theory?

#22
https://www.musictheory.net is an excellent resource for getting started, and for maintaining practice.

There's also the Music Student 101 podcast, which many people recommend highly (I've only listened to a few episodes).

The musictheory subreddit is also one of the best subs I've found, for all levels.

Re: Ask HN: How Can I Learn Music Theory?

#26
I'd say if you want to make it last learn how to apply it.

Music theory is one of these things I learned multiple times (even as a minor in University) and forgot multiple times.

The theory I learned, though, was never really relevant to my artistic work, whether it was playing guitar music or making electronic music. Whenever I tried writing something based on the theory I learned, I found it to be super boring. Thus, to this day, music theory doesn't make a lot of "sense" to me.

Thus, I'd say if you want to learn music theory, try to make it part of a creative process. Learn something new and try to write a little piece based on that, and so on. That way, it gives you creative tools instead of just being boring.

Re: Ask HN: How Can I Learn Music Theory?

#29
The most important thing is to relate the theory you learn back to your instrument, and to use your ears as much as your brain.

I have a hunch that so many of my engineer friends are musicians because music theory is happily systematic - it reminds me a lot of category theory & FP. It meshes perfectly with my brain at least - but just knowing theory without feeling it is useless. Learn to feel.

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