rules to break rules?
more control brings more freedom?
oxymorons.
theres about 10 zillion examples we could start naming on how this way of thought DOESNT apply to some of the best song writers or musicians ever. prime example: go look at any guitar shop and see how many guys wish they could play the blues.
its always the fine line between technical killing the heart/guts. just how metal is today. over technical, bad song writing, no heart and hyper-isolated recordings that sound like it just came out of a robots butt.
if youre going to bust the rules and do something new, bust them for real.
sorry dude... you are incorrect. knowing theory does not "kill the heart/guts" of creativity..... and all your "10 zillion" examples are not in fact examples of why you're right.. they are examples of why what i am about to say is the right way to view this issue.
you can divide players into 4 basic groups:
1.
Those that know some or a lot of theory but are not intrinsically very musical....theory in the hands of an intrinsically non-musical person will result in a "robotic" type player, usually with poor vibrato and poor phrasing no matter how fast and accurately they can "shred", and they usually write fairly uninspired songs. This is the group of players that lead to the myth that "theory kills creativity".
2.
Those that don't know any theory at all but are intrinsically very musical people....a guitar in the hands of a very intrinsically musical person who knows not one bit of theory can and will result in a player that writes moving songs and who may be capable of incredible soloing, usually with great vibrato and inspired prhasing.. certainly intrinsically musical people do not
need theory.... and this is the group from which your "10 Zillion examples" come. i was in this group for about 3 years, and it's a perfectly fine place to be.
3.
Those that don't know theory and are not instrinsically musical.... a non-musical person with zero theory is pretty much dead in the water. this is the group of players that we all know... these guys may love music and guitar, but they play for years and never display any noticable improvment... hey, if they enjoy it.. awesome, i'm all for it. Playing music can be enjoyable for anyone.
4.
Very musical people that have an understanding of theory.... an instrinsically musical person with a facile knowledge of theory is very similar to a person from group 2, he simply has an additional toolbox that allows him to access more tonalities and musical vibes than he ever would have stumbled upon in many years of insprired improvising/writing.
True story....
i had a buddy, Matt, back in the late 80's... he was half British and half American, and we were at about the same level of skill with our playing.. so we enjoyed jamming together.... i had been playing for 3 years already with no knowledge of theory at all, and he had none either. Matt was very "anti" theory, certain that it would "destroy" his creativity.... i, on the other hand, was determined to learn theory and set out on a course to teach myself as much as i could. i moved away for a while and dropped out of contact with Matt right at the beginning of that "mission", but moved back after less than a year... during which time i had taught myself a lot about the basic modes, the modes of the harmonic minor scale, as well as the modes of the melodic minor scale... and a great deal about extended chords, their construction, their relationship to the modes.. and a solid understanding of the circle of 5ths/4ths and harmony in general.
the point? i had remembered Matt as a good player and good improviser... my equal in every way, but one who always had something that i couldn't define that was similar in everything he played... i had noticed the same thing in my own playing.... and when i got back together with Matt i knew what it was immediately: he pretty much always... ALWAYS... played Pentaonic Minor and Natural Minor, and would throw in liberal b5's. he had no idea what he was playing, but no matter what he played over, or where he played on the neck, he always played in those tonalities.... and i had done the same.
the result of me learning theory was that i had more tonalities to draw upon... my improvising did not suffer one single bit. in fact, it got better as my ear became accustomed to other tonalities. i liken it to being a good or great painter who only has ever had the primary colors to work with.... and then being taught to create new colors by understanding how to combine the basic colors... will that painter lose the heart/guts of their artistry? i think not. i think their paintings will become more interesting... better.
bottom line... if you are a truly musical person you will be able to create great music both with theory and without theory. But with it you will venture into territory you never would have otherwise... at least not as fully as you will be able to with a more complete understanding of music. if you are not a very musical person then theory will at least allow you to play with some level of competancy, though it won't help much to lead you to the level of inspired artistry that very musical persons can enjoy with or without it.
to suggest that the creative muse can be imprisoned by giving it
more doors to go through is ridiculous.... it is however a good lie to tell yourself if you feel you need an excuse to get out of the percieved difficulty of learning theory. You're either creative or you're not... theory will neither create nor destroy creativity, so learn it, or don't.... but please don't get on a soapbox here and preach that it will "ruin" one's playing, that is one of the worst myths in music.
Worked very welll for me.
), but doing it much more effectively...
