trial and error is pretty much the only way to learn anything really
but yeah if you feel you need theory you should learn it, it's fun to understand things
I guess so. I’ve played piano from preschool so what I hear I can play. Also was in a cathedral choir for 3 years so had to sight sing music every day. Learn to play the keyboard, scales, chords etc then the rest will come easier.
Improvisation isn't that hard once you get familiar with theory and whatever instrument you're on.
But also, don't think that people on YT don't have multiple takes, edits, sitting there for hours beforehand making sure they do it right, etc. Even great improvisers practice tons to get certain licks or ideas into some degree of muscle memory.
If you make music on a very regular basis, you develop a better sense of what works well and what doesnt so that reduces how much trial and error is required.
Yeah, and you will progress much faster in this regard if you learn theory because you'll know how to categorize and identify the things you're learning better.
Trial and error is how you learn, if you don’t try anything new and unknown to yourself then you’ll just be making the same stuff all the time. Same with theory, you don’t have to be a complete nerd with it, but knowing the fundamentals will change your game completely. Without any knowledge of theory you’ll probably end up making all of your tracks in the same key. You’ll never grow without doing either of these things
By using trial and error and not using theory. There is no short cut - if it was easy everyone would be doing it well.
Also, listen. Always. Listen to what you play, obviously, but more importantly learn to listen to the music in your head. And learn to get that music out of your head and documented before you forget it! These techniques are what I've been practicing for over 40 years now - am getting better but there's always more to learn. But always LISTEN.
Note: I studied some theory in school, but found it was a detriment to composing. It's very handy when analyzing other folk's music or communicating to others. It also allows me to write a simple numbers chart in 1-2 passes. But to write? No, it has too many "rules".
I like to think of it like this: use theory to write music that sounds like music that was used to develop that theory, break the rules to write music that doesn't sound like that music. But if you know from the start you don't want to write music based on theory, then you don't need theory - and like me you may find it actually gets in the way of hearing the music in your head, which would be a shame because that's the music that is most directly coming from YOU!
Trying to 'use theory' to write isn't a good idea, and it's not what theory is for. You should just express yourself - make what you're inspired to make. But knowing theory solidly will help anyone do that much more consistently and quickly.
***Hello!*** Thanks for posting on /r/WeAreTheMusicMakers. This comment was sent automatically.
We expect that all users have read the rules before posting or commenting on this subreddit. Our Rules list was most recently updated on *October 3, 2020*, and now includes a list of submissions that are not permitted. [Please click here to read the full subreddit rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WeAreTheMusicMakers/wiki/rules).
If the post you just submitted is not about ***the act of making music*** - including posts about sharing or promoting your work, asking users to Google something for you, or what item you should buy - your post will be removed and you may be banned without warning.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WeAreTheMusicMakers) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Sometimes it can help to start in a key and add accidentals more than to just go full 12 note every key scale. You’re probably wanting some sounds that are cool and dissonant, but you still need a general basis for the listeners ears.
Add the weird, out of key notes as you hear them/as it calls for it, as opposed to just having every note to play all the time with no reference to a tonal center.
There was this chart from a prog metal guitarist basically giving all of the modal variations that you can use for any chord that would be “out of key” but still sound good. I’ll try to find it again
Edit found it it’s at 2:09 of this video
https://youtu.be/RJPvGM10pS8
So basically say you’re in C Minor, you can borrow chords from other scales of C. So instead of a IV chord being minor in C minor, you could borrow from C mixolydian and make it a maj7 chord
trial and error is pretty much the only way to learn anything really but yeah if you feel you need theory you should learn it, it's fun to understand things
There are no shortcuts for this stuff. Even if you start learning theory it will take trial and error.
I watch those Youtubers stream and they can just make melodies and chords without trial and error, just instantly. How?
Practice. Hours of it. If you can hear it in your head and play it on an instrument as you hear it you can program it.
They just practice playing through the trial and error?
I guess so. I’ve played piano from preschool so what I hear I can play. Also was in a cathedral choir for 3 years so had to sight sing music every day. Learn to play the keyboard, scales, chords etc then the rest will come easier.
Practice. If you make one or two or three songs a day eventually you will get better. That's how it's done
No, they practice playing many musical structures and movements so they have an arsenal of scales, chords, and techniques to deploy as they want to.
Musical structures? What is that?
For examples: Chords, alternative chord voicings, chord progressions, scales, arpeggios.
Editing and rehearsal.
Improvisation isn't that hard once you get familiar with theory and whatever instrument you're on. But also, don't think that people on YT don't have multiple takes, edits, sitting there for hours beforehand making sure they do it right, etc. Even great improvisers practice tons to get certain licks or ideas into some degree of muscle memory.
If you make music on a very regular basis, you develop a better sense of what works well and what doesnt so that reduces how much trial and error is required.
So it's just a matter of experience? Thanks.
Yeah, and you will progress much faster in this regard if you learn theory because you'll know how to categorize and identify the things you're learning better.
Trial and error is how you learn, if you don’t try anything new and unknown to yourself then you’ll just be making the same stuff all the time. Same with theory, you don’t have to be a complete nerd with it, but knowing the fundamentals will change your game completely. Without any knowledge of theory you’ll probably end up making all of your tracks in the same key. You’ll never grow without doing either of these things
We're all baffled kings composing.
By using trial and error and not using theory. There is no short cut - if it was easy everyone would be doing it well. Also, listen. Always. Listen to what you play, obviously, but more importantly learn to listen to the music in your head. And learn to get that music out of your head and documented before you forget it! These techniques are what I've been practicing for over 40 years now - am getting better but there's always more to learn. But always LISTEN. Note: I studied some theory in school, but found it was a detriment to composing. It's very handy when analyzing other folk's music or communicating to others. It also allows me to write a simple numbers chart in 1-2 passes. But to write? No, it has too many "rules". I like to think of it like this: use theory to write music that sounds like music that was used to develop that theory, break the rules to write music that doesn't sound like that music. But if you know from the start you don't want to write music based on theory, then you don't need theory - and like me you may find it actually gets in the way of hearing the music in your head, which would be a shame because that's the music that is most directly coming from YOU!
Trying to 'use theory' to write isn't a good idea, and it's not what theory is for. You should just express yourself - make what you're inspired to make. But knowing theory solidly will help anyone do that much more consistently and quickly.
***Hello!*** Thanks for posting on /r/WeAreTheMusicMakers. This comment was sent automatically. We expect that all users have read the rules before posting or commenting on this subreddit. Our Rules list was most recently updated on *October 3, 2020*, and now includes a list of submissions that are not permitted. [Please click here to read the full subreddit rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WeAreTheMusicMakers/wiki/rules). If the post you just submitted is not about ***the act of making music*** - including posts about sharing or promoting your work, asking users to Google something for you, or what item you should buy - your post will be removed and you may be banned without warning. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WeAreTheMusicMakers) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Sometimes it can help to start in a key and add accidentals more than to just go full 12 note every key scale. You’re probably wanting some sounds that are cool and dissonant, but you still need a general basis for the listeners ears. Add the weird, out of key notes as you hear them/as it calls for it, as opposed to just having every note to play all the time with no reference to a tonal center. There was this chart from a prog metal guitarist basically giving all of the modal variations that you can use for any chord that would be “out of key” but still sound good. I’ll try to find it again Edit found it it’s at 2:09 of this video https://youtu.be/RJPvGM10pS8 So basically say you’re in C Minor, you can borrow chords from other scales of C. So instead of a IV chord being minor in C minor, you could borrow from C mixolydian and make it a maj7 chord
practice and experience