FiddleCat - Posted - 12/18/2008:  02:47:19

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A little birdie shared with me how important music theroy is to playing fiddle. If you understand the theroy you can understand how to play it more complete. I did some searching and found a web site that starts you from the very basics (Reading Music)
up to Introduction of Triads. 46 lessons in all.

You'll have to read each lesson, but it explains it rather well and easily. Nice thing is you can start at whichever lesson you want to, or only take 1 or 20 or all 46. Great referance to turn back to when needed also.

http://www.8notes.com/school/theory...ntervals.asp



All She Could Sing was Fiddle Come Fee, The Mouse has Married the Humble Bee.

IronMommy - Posted - 12/18/2008:  03:49:15

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If you go to www.musictheory.net there are all sorts of tools and game-like things to help you learn how to read music. Try the "note trainer," which is a game to teach the names of the notes. This site works best if you sort of know the notes, but need to drill a little to really get them down. And it's fun.

FiddleCat - Posted - 12/18/2008:  03:59:11

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Thanks IronMommy..I know the notes so I'll be visiting that site later today. I want to gather as much info as possible. Thats for the web address. Mabey it will help me understand some of this a little easier.

All She Could Sing was Fiddle Come Fee, The Mouse has Married the Humble Bee.

Fidla - Posted - 12/18/2008:  05:26:12

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I agree 100%. I took a lot of music theory classes over the years, but the best way to learn music theory is to play a chorded instrument such as mandolin or guitar in a jazz band because jazz forces you to understand the theory intimately before you can understand the intent of the composer, and attempt to improvise.

Another great way to learn music theory is to teach music. I recommend to my students that they teach as much as they can. When you have to explain something clearly to someone else so that they understand, you have to break the concept down into its component parts, that forces you to really think about the subject yourself, understand it deeply yourself.

______________
Adam R. Sweet
www.adamrsweet.com

mikey - Posted - 12/18/2008:  05:34:44

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quote:

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Originally posted by FiddleCat

A little birdie shared with me how important music theroy is to playing fiddle.
.

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To Expand on that, Music theory is vital in ANY instrument. Reading music and theory go hand in hand. You can't properly learn one without learning the other at the same time.

MIKEY


Always Remember: You are Special and Unique...Just like Everyone Else

TimK - Posted - 12/18/2008:  05:38:29

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[quote]Originally posted by FiddleCat

A little birdie shared with me how important music theroy is to playing fiddle.
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That birdie must have been a wise old owl

TImK

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Wrangle up yer mouth parts, drag yer banjer out, tune yer ole geetar till it twangs right stout, for the snow is on the mountain and the wind is on the plain, so we''ll cut the chimny''s moanin with a livelier refrain.

Dick Hauser - Posted - 12/18/2008:  07:09:05

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I use musical notation all the time, and I read material on musical theory. I have done this for a long time, but have a major complaint about music theory books. They are almost always have very little information on applying musical theory.

Most of the information I get on applying theory is obtained by discussing musical theory with trained musicians, and having them explain how theory they learned in school has been applied to their music. I take lessons from a classical musician. Over time the lessons turned into discussions on how to apply music theory to a person's playing. I keep wondering "How come I never have read about this".

I am not saying the material isn't useful and beneficial, I just wish that the author's would provide more information on applying the theory to my music.



gulfguy

brya31 - Posted - 12/18/2008:  09:04:40

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Thanks for the posts! I need all the help I can get!

Caston - Posted - 12/18/2008:  19:22:07

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Thanks for letting us know about the www.8notes.com
A lot of good stuff there .

Fidla - Posted - 12/19/2008:  05:47:42

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someone asked me what I use for theory reference. I have a college textbook that is most helpful called "The Principals of Music"

______________
Adam R. Sweet
www.adamrsweet.com

Bob Wolford - Posted - 01/01/2009:  04:06:36

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"Over time the lessons turned into discussions on how to apply music theory to a person's playing. I keep wondering "How come I never have read about this"."

When some aspect of theory finally sinks in (usually after a discussion with my instructor) I will go back to what I read and realize the information was right there all along. I just didn't recognize it for what it was. Most of use just want to play music and our mind turns off when this mumble-jumble called theory tries to penetrate our brain.

http://bobwolford.com/

whigski - Posted - 01/01/2009:  16:42:38

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quote:

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Originally posted by Dick Hauser

I am not saying the material isn't useful and beneficial, I just wish that the author's would provide more information on applying the theory to my music.

gulfguy

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I understand your feelings and I am certainly no expert. I think a good way to approach this is to notice the presence of the theory in the music you are playing now. In my limited experience, mostly with guitar, the theory will suggest ornamentation (at least). I think it's all trial and error--but with this approach there may be fewer errors. If you go through this much work, I'm pretty sure something good will come out of it. Whether it's worth the trouble or not depends on your goals, I guess. For me, it's worth it to do it once in a while as part of the "journey", when I'm in that kind of mood. For instance, if I'm on a plane.

Bill

Fidla - Posted - 01/03/2009:  07:57:13

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Another great way to learn music theory is to play jazz. Get your hands on a copy of the Real Book I

______________
Adam R. Sweet
www.adamrsweet.com

Hi Strung - Posted - 01/03/2009:  08:20:16

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Thank you all so much for sharing these links. I have never studied music theory and have been wanting to since I picked up the fiddle again. These are great and so dang simple to follow and understand. It's like I'm wearing a huge light bulb above my head today. Ah haaa!!! So that's what that squiggly thing is there for. I thought it was decorations.

God put a fiddle in my hands
and told me to play.

mikey - Posted - 01/03/2009:  08:52:47

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A lot of music theory is just that, theory. The useful stuff like common key signatures, scales, chords and minors might take less than an hour to explain in a dry hard lecture, and thats the important stuff that we use everyday for common playing. The part that takes long is learning to think in that manner and apply it to everyday playing. Most people who have instruction thats balanced with theory and relevant practical excersises find that the theory sinks in much faster than the playing skills. Regardless of where or how you learn it, music theory applies to all instruments and all music. You don't need a music degree to have lots of fun and jam with your buddies, but chord and note association is an absolute must. People who cannot understand this to a minimum level will generally reach a plateau of skills and never excell from it.

When I hear someone tell me they don't want to learn music theory, I wonder to myself: "Why does someone want to be a musician, yet not want to understand how music works??" The whole idea of a decent instructor is not have someone jam with you, but to learn enough to learn by yourself.

MIKEY


Always Remember: You are Special and Unique...Just like Everyone Else

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Edited by - mikey on 01/03/2009 08:54:32