A Grove of Ashes and Aspens

Now Playing: Hydra by Twilight Force

As a longtime musician, something my new musician friends sometimes ask me is some variation of “do I need music theory to be a good musician?” This is also a question that isn’t uncommon among musicians in general.

My answer, and opinion, is always something along the lines of it’s complicated. Hear me out.

Music as an art has theory behind it, just like how painting has its own kind of theory. And just like it painting, there are plenty of musicians who are quite talented who never went to school for music and they just learned their instrument through a teacher or just on their own.

Many who learn in one of these ways only learn the base amount of theory required to be able to play their instrument, some only ever learning to play by ear, with their only desire in music to have it as a hobby and learn their favourite songs. In most situations, this is all that’s necessary. Most people who take up music as a hobby aren’t looking to become music teachers or researchers or professional musicians playing in a band or orchestra, so a knowledge of theory isn’t really necessary beyond what they need or want to know.

Even among composers, while it is useful, it isn’t always 100% necessary. While music theory is the single most useful tool I have in my composing to be able to understand what I’m writing and what’s going on and why the music I’m writing works the way it does, I don’t use my knowledge of music theory when composing hardly at all beyond the basics of being able to read sheet music. I use it when looking at my music and understanding why it works the way it does, but the act of composing proper is not where I use that knowledge.

Music theory in composing and playing is in a very similar position to colour theory in painting or psychology and sociology in acting. It’s useful to know and can provide some useful direction on how to make your craft stronger, but you don’t actively need it to be successful.

To me, that’s the beauty of music as an art. There’s so much potential and so many interesting ways to practice the craft and make something meaningful, so whether or not music theory is necessary depends on the goals one has when coming into the craft.

Many musicians I’ve spoken to have similar feelings on this. What do you think? Do you think it’s necessary or not? Why? I’d love to hear your thoughts.