Comment by dosisking
2 hours ago
> You say that the article isn't music theory but don't bother to say why.
His response sounded kind of gatekeep-y to me. Kind of like an academic with theoretical knowledge, but no practical experience.
Many great musicians never learned proper music theory. Innovation comes from outside, not from inside the establishment.
Music theory is a way of describing that cool thing you played, not the other way around
Music theory is absolutely an indispensable tool for musicians and composers. You can play music without it, but that’s just putting an unnecessary upper bound on what you can achieve.
More than anything, it’s a vocabulary to talk about the thing you’re doing with others.
The only people I know who are productive as composers or arrangers are familiar with theory.
Because they can write it down. Good for them.
Retiring from music due to RSI suggests practical experience.
Disclosure: Musician
Definitely gatekeeping. I'm no wiz by any means, but I've done (and still do) a fair amount of paid work (gigs, studio recordings, teaching, etc.) and I would not describe Grade 5 ABRSM as "very basic"