Is theory that useful?

[Matt]

I feel like I will never be a great musician because I already know too much about theory. Doesnt it seem like all the incredible musicians learned music with no instruction and started performing professionally when they cant even read or write music? Some examples for guitar are Wes Montgomery and Django.

I have a friend who has played piano since he was 2 and has been writing symphonies since he was 9. He cant read sheet music very well at all, even though he has been taking lessons since 1st grade, but if you play something twice on the piano, he will be able to play it (like mozart maybe?).

Well anyway, dont you think it would be so much better to not have the burden of chords, arpeggios, scales etc. and just play what sounds good? I think this is how all music should be, and unfortunately I didnt play anything before I started taking lessons.

Im trying to make up for it now by writing some classical music (I have no idea how to write modern songs, whatever I play sounds too simple or like its already been done before). Also, I dont understand how you write jazz, just play a solo and call it the head, then find what chords it goes over? ...

[arp]

Matt, with repect you sound a trifle confused..?
Some kind of music theory knowledge is essential if you want to play jazz or any kind of music for that matter. So I dont quite get what you mean when you say that you will never be a good musician because you already know..too much ?..about theory.
Believe it...Wes would have had a brilliant understanding of theory and harmony. That kind of playing just doesn't happen without it.
If it weren't for the correspondence course that I did a few years ago in jazz harmony, and I didn't do nearly enough of it, there would be absolutely no way that I could be creating my jazz chord stuctures and soloing the way that I do.
Music is a craft like any other...they require knowledge.

[arp]

Matt, with respect you sound a trifle confused..?
Some kind of music theory knowledge is essential if you want to play jazz or any kind of music for that matter. So I dont quite get what you mean when you say that you will never be a good musician because you already know..too much ?..about theory.
Believe it...Wes would have had a brilliant understanding of theory and harmony. That kind of playing just doesn't happen without it.
If it weren't for the correspondence course that I did a few years ago in jazz harmony, and I didn't do nearly enough of it, there would be absolutely no way that I could be creating my jazz chord stuctures and soloing the way that I do.
Music is a craft like any other...they require knowledge.

[Matt]

yeah, this was a stupid post. Victor Wooten puts it all in perspective on his DVD "live at bass day 98"

When someone asked him what do you think of when you are soloing or composing, he said something like "Well how did you ask that question? Did you plan out the number of syllables, pronouns etc. before you asked it? No you just improvised. This is what I do with music. I just play what I know will sound good, but to know this you have to build your vocabulary by learning as much theory as you can, so that you can just play without thinking about it."

[mahayana]

I think theory is incredibly useful, though I know I bore people when they ask about it. Example, the circle of fifths. Once you get that, you can really play in any key, transcribe to keys you enjoy. For guitar it's easier to go counter-clockwise, which is the circle of fourths. Guitars are tuned in fourths and we all learn the sharp keys first (after C). G 1sharp, D 2 sharps, A 3 sharps, E 4 sharps, B 5 sharps, and you're halfway around.

So, why do so many balk at music in Bflat, Eflat, Aflat, Dflat, Gflat? Hey, you gotta know this stuff to play with horn players using sheet music. Or you can goof with movable scale patterns, just hit the written notes once in awhile. My opinion isn't worth much, but mastering your instrument is worth a lot to you. It's not that hard to learn your fretboard, and your keys.

[jazzalta]

"Doesnt it seem like all the incredible musicians learned music with no instruction and started performing professionally when they cant even read or write music?"

When I think of the great players that influenced me the most, they all had strong theory backgrounds: Charlie Parker, Joe Pass, Larry Carlton, Herb Ellis, just to name a few.