Music
of the Mind: Part 2
Expressive Theory
By
Lee Carlson
Tri-tone Substitutions.
Upper Structure Triads. Secondary Dominants. If you understand
what these terms mean, then you are well aware that they go beyond
basic music theory. I trust they have helped you to more easily
and effectively express whatever music it is that you play. This
article is not a music theory lesson, but it is an attempt to
bring you a clearer understanding of the value of knowing music
theory.
For the second installment of this series, Music of the Mind,
I will address another mindset often encountered. It is the mindset
that if one has a deep, working knowledge of music theory, it
will take away from their creativity and "feel" as a
musician. I believe this to be totally ridiculous. I do, however,
understand the sentiment behind the statement. "I just want
to play. I don’t want to be bound by a bunch of rules." Point
made – and I agree. But, my goal is to convince you that knowing
music theory could actually help you to "just play"
better.
Let’s say that you have a song idea in mind – a slow, sad ballad
with an eerie quality to it. If all you know is a few chord shapes,
but have no knowledge of how the chords are constructed, you could
possibly spend a couple of hours fishing around for the chord
you hear in your head. But if you have a firm grasp on the theory
of chord construction and how they sound, you will immediately
know that a Minor chord with an added 9th, or a Minor chord with
an added 13, would fit the bill even before you play them. (There
are many choices other than these two, but I hope you get the
point.) Noodle or fish around for an hour or so, or get to "just
playing" the idea in your head right away because you have
a working knowledge of how the little black dots interact with
one another.
Many guitarists have said that they "just want to play"
– not be bound by a bunch of theoretical rules. Then why are they
so willing to waste "playing" time on fishing for the
idea in their head? One might argue that, even though you are
fishing for the idea, you are at least getting practice time out
of it. Really? I personally know guitar players who have spent
a lifetime "just playing" or noodling and still play
at a beginner level – even 20 or 30 years later. I strongly believe
that a half hour of focused practice or study is more beneficial
than two hours of noodling.
Having the ability to know what it is that you hear in your head,
even before you play it, is an invaluable skill to have, and requires
not only the development of a good ear, but also an understanding
of music theory. It is the skill that enables you to jump right
to the chord progression or scale or motif that you hear, rather
than fumbling around, hoping to find the sound you are trying
to achieve.
I
am well aware that a lot of great ideas come from "just playing."
It is also necessary to do as a musician if only for one’s sanity.
But I strongly believe that having a good handle on music theory
will increase your skill as a player, taking your musicianship
to a much higher level so that when you do pick up the guitar
to "just play", jam with friends, or compose, there
will be a stronger sense of direction in your note choice and
chord progressions. I like to see Music Theory as just simply
the categorization of sounds and a means to communicate these
sound descriptions to other musicians. So I challenge you to begin
to include the study of music theory into your playing time and
to pay attention to any improvement you notice in your ability
to express your music.
In closing I would like to add one piece of advice. Always apply
any new theory concept to your guitar right away as this will
help solidify it in your mind and playing.
