Practice Thoughts | Music Theory is Not Music
Added 2023-02-06 17:00:01 +0000 UTCWhere to Start • Lesson Archive • Recommended Lesson Plan • Book a Private Lesson
Hi Everyone,
In this practice thought, I'm using some nerdy philosophy to draw out the difference between music theory and music. Sometimes they get confused for each other and it's important (and hopefully encouraging) to remember the difference between them.
Throughout your musical journey, you'll likely have bouts of insecurity (it happens!). Sometimes those bouts of insecurity will revolve around a thought like this "Oh no! What if I don't understand enough music theory? What if other musicians think my music is boring and simple?"
This practice thought is a friendly reminder to ponder these ideas:
a) Music Theory is a tool to describe what you're doing, not a system of rules to dictate what you ought to do
b) Never confuse music theory for music
c) Never worry about how "simple" your music is (some of my favorite songs have only 2 chords, for example)
d) Make music for yourself and for fun, not for the musicians who have learned all the theory (unless thats actually fun for you!)
e) I like music that makes me feel, not music that makes me think
These are some of the mantras that I like to keep in mind while I'm writing music - do you have mantras you use when you're being creative?
If you feel like I got some philosophical terms wrong or you want to continue the discussion and share your personal writing mantras, feel free to hang out in the comments.
Check out the Lesson Archive for more Practice Thoughts.
Other helpful links:
Scott's Recommended Lesson Plan
How to Join the Community Forum
Comments
new to this community (joined yesterday) but love the message of this video! I want to be more in tune with my emotions so this really resonates with me and gives me hope that I can be great at guitar by focusing on emotion
Fer M
2023-04-10 03:35:50 +0000 UTCThis man is speaking facts here.
Conor Pearson
2023-02-09 04:23:37 +0000 UTCWe are all joking Mr Johnson. Don't worry. Haha was just funny because you went really deep and far away with analogies but some how managed to bring back home... where music is. And for a lot of us "normal" people this is not so easy without smoking uhhhh let's see... "tobacco".
DeDé
2023-02-07 09:30:15 +0000 UTCArcher. Thank you for sharing. One glaring issue I noticed here was when you said “if I don’t _______ other musicians won’t listen.” My question to those people: why are you trying to impress other musicians? How about trying to make regular people feel something? This was what woke me up. I don’t need to impress other musicians. I just need to write music that feels good to me. And “normal” people tend to gravitate toward music that just feels good.
Scott Paul Johnson
2023-02-07 04:35:50 +0000 UTCVery enjoyable video. Thank you for sharing the honesty and perspective. I agree with everything on there. Wanted to get your perspective on jazz. I had spent the past few years learning jazz guitar and eventually took a break from that because it felt like work after a while. The messaging I was getting throughout many lessons was that if I'm not speaking the same language as the rest of the band, then I'm square. It felt very constrained and limiting (and pressure to speak the language). Jazz has this sentiment that you can be willy-nilly if it sounds good, but it seems you can only be so willy-nilly within very narrow constraints. Like if I don't syncopate and swing my rhythm, or use enough extensions, other musicians won't listen. Thanks again.
Archer Cannella
2023-02-07 04:03:42 +0000 UTCI'm glad you all enjoyed this. Also, I was smoking tobacco - nothin crazy
Scott Paul Johnson
2023-02-06 23:29:52 +0000 UTCThe fun is back. Haha... Love that garden, love the subject, love the honesty and sure love that pipe. To be honest with you, 3 years ago I had the same mind as the guy who commented on your YouTube. Probably was me who wrote the comment. :) I always thought: "Nerd guys who are just theory freaks..." It is easy to not appreciate and push down things that you don't know or can't understand. I started your patreon because I knew just simple stuff, and I was shamed. I wanted to show with complicated things in music that I knew music theory...that I am a good guitar player...but just after learning music theory I realise that music can be simple and is not shame if I don't use "fancy" stuff to show off theory skills. For me I had to learn to accept who I am as a "musician"...But is extremely useful to understand that you can use it if you want or if you need to. Is for me like an ingredient that I can use if I need a new sauce on my pasta. Music theory is nothing without music and music wouldn't become music without theory... no one will never lose anything learning music theory. Saying that thanks for teaching me for the last 2? 2.5? years music theory dude. Even if is not the most important thing... is still an important thing to understand music, to understand yourself and to make music. And music changes stuff. You are helping people to change stuffs. Now pass the pipe back.
DeDé
2023-02-06 22:08:18 +0000 UTCTobacco! This one was an aromatic, but I prefer English
Scott Paul Johnson
2023-02-06 20:27:01 +0000 UTCI just want you to know, Scott, that this little philosophical talk (luv the pipe, btw) did not make me think about d/c'ing my patronage of your patreon (is that the way to say it) AT ALL. Just the opposite, in fact. That's a great analogy! And it really hit home with me because I often find myself thinking my songs, the songs I've written, are too 'simple'. I don't think I'm going to be thinking that way anymore and I'm really happy about that. Thx man. :jim
Jim Conway
2023-02-06 19:42:18 +0000 UTCLike the lesson. Sometimes ill make something up that sounds cool. Then ill go back and see if its "off road" or not. Most of the time I try to take the highway, sometimes im in the weeds with a machete lol
Joe Snuffy
2023-02-06 18:38:21 +0000 UTCThe way I look at it is I want to build music and music theory provides the tools and skills to do that. It's no different than learning the fundamentals of any trade or skill. An artist learns how to paint, but each has their own style and end result. Software developers learn the fundamentals and syntax of their craft, but can build any of the variety of software out there today.
David Bowlby
2023-02-06 18:35:36 +0000 UTCInteresting stuff, Scott. I have a rule which isnt really a mantra, (could be i suppose) but you know that queezy feeling? kinda feels like somethings being forced that shouldnt be? well, as soon as that happens, i learned to stop, whether its practice, a band, a song, a job (im kidding about the last one ☺️). I guess some (most?) people do that instinctively but it took a little practice for myself.
Mark Riley
2023-02-06 18:18:38 +0000 UTCHi Scott, what are you smoking ? :)
koen vandersteegen
2023-02-06 17:18:13 +0000 UTC
