What do you struggle with in regards to music theory?

[zbd1960]

I know I come to this from a different angle as my background is classical... I'm probably weird, but I enjoy theory and that's not just about various flavours of 7th chords, but things like writing four part SATB harmony, realising a figured bass, score analysis...

 

Do you need to be able to identify a Neapolitan 6th chord? No, you don't, but theory and understanding how/why harmony works is useful information and will help with understanding why some things work and some things don't. 

 

As I've said before, I don't have issues reading music and all the music I currently perform involves reading - I currently play cello in two amateur orchestras, and bari or tenor sax in a sax group.

 

You don't need loads of theory to get along as a player, but having some understanding will help. and it can be useful when you encounter problmes with a part and need to work out what's wrong with it when the music publisher/editor has got it wrong. 

Edited November 2, 2021 by zbd1960

[MrDinsdale]

11 hours ago, greghagger said:

thanks for answering and no worries getting this thread going again.  
 

In my opinion, the application of what you learn in music theory is the interesting and useful part of the picture. You’re not alone with not knowing how to apply this knowledge to your playing. 
 

Can I ask if you have a main style that you are currently working on?  I can then suggest some of my lessons that should help you. 
 

In the meantime others may be able to suggest resources that have helped them with this. 

 

When I started I was really into Primus, Tool and Mr Bungle and all that sort of stuff so lots of rock and metal with lots of slap bass and stuff like that.

 

Now though most of the stuff I've been doing is far more folky/bluesy rock stuff. Still love playing some soul, funk and rocky stuff. Pretty open minded though to anything when it comes to bass, even if it's not strictly something I'd listen to.

[greghagger]

6 hours ago, MrDinsdale said:

 

When I started I was really into Primus, Tool and Mr Bungle and all that sort of stuff so lots of rock and metal with lots of slap bass and stuff like that.

 

Now though most of the stuff I've been doing is far more folky/bluesy rock stuff. Still love playing some soul, funk and rocky stuff. Pretty open minded though to anything when it comes to bass, even if it's not strictly something I'd listen to.

That’s the way to be if you want to progress to be a great musician. 
 

I’ve always embraced all styles of music and tried to convincing play bass to them while also trying to put a bit of my own style into them too. 

[Japhet]

I couldn't get past stuff in different keys and trying to remember that if you saw a note it either had to be flat or sharp, sometimes a whole load of them in a given key. Way to complicated for my limited brain power. Then trying to get to grips with crotchets, quavers and all the rest of it convinced me I was only ever going to play by ear with a smattering of chord progression knowledge chucked in. I only started learning theory because I was in a band with a load of 'proper' musicians who seemed to be talking a whole different language to me and I didn't understand a word of it.

[nekomatic]

On 23/10/2021 at 07:37, MrDinsdale said:

Sorry to necro a thread but thought I'd jump on this one rather than start another! I've always struggled with music theory as a whole, I can learn arpeggios, scales, modes and chords etc but there's something about the application of them that's just never sunk in beyond the basics. I always feel like I'm just missing that little thing that ties it all back together and unlocks it.

…

Any good recommendations for books/videos would be great! Also did anyone find it helpful to learn on another instrument to avoid relying too heavily on learning shapes?

 

Maybe you're thinking about it the wrong way round… rather than 'I've learned this theory but I'm not sure what to do with it' start from 'I'd like to be able to do x better, what theory will help me with that?'

 

I've learned a fair amount of classical and jazz theory in my time but I'm completely out of practice at applying it, so for me it's currently about trying to get to where the relationships between the notes of a chord, the notes on the stave, the note names and the positions on the fingerboard are all at my fingertips (as it were) so that I can play what I want when I want it rather than sometime tomorrow!

 

Re your last point, having started on piano I can only think through an interval or chord by visualising a keyboard…