I can't take music theory?!

[Zooloo75]

I'm in highschool and they sent us to the counselor to get our schedules/classes ready for next year.
I said I wanted to take music theory and the counselor said I have to be in band to take music theory...

Is there a reason I have to be in band to take music theory? Or is it just some stupid rule?

[sorohanro]

Well, might be just a stupid rule but it's easier to understand music if you apply in practical work what you just learned.
Anyway, a good music theory resource is musictheory.net, so you can learn for yourself without school rules & stuff that you don't want.

[Zooloo75]

At 2/27/10 10:13 AM, sorohanro wrote: Well, might be just a stupid rule but it's easier to understand music if you apply in practical work what you just learned.
Anyway, a good music theory resource is musictheory.net, so you can learn for yourself without school rules & stuff that you don't want.

Well, I have been playing the piano for pretty much my whole life...lol

BTW, thanks for that link. I swear I learn more on the internet than what I learn at school.

[Krank]

At 2/27/10 10:20 AM, Zooloo75 wrote: BTW, thanks for that link. I swear I learn more on the internet than what I learn at school.

amen. I realized the internet has far more to offer than school ever did. School is an obsolete system. Knowledge is freely available instantaneously. ANY information you could ever need

[Zooloo75]

At 2/27/10 10:23 AM, Bjra wrote:

At 2/27/10 10:20 AM, Zooloo75 wrote: BTW, thanks for that link. I swear I learn more on the internet than what I learn at school.

amen. I realized the internet has far more to offer than school ever did. School is an obsolete system. Knowledge is freely available instantaneously. ANY information you could ever need

At least on the internet I can learn what I want to learn and what would actually be useful in my life.

[Chris-V2]

School thought music theory tends to be very archaic, everythings like this 17th Centuary Tonalist perspective. It's nuts, far better off buying books and using the internet as a resource. Lots of interesting scales, ideas for interesting harmonies, unusual techniques etc.

Saying that, the internet has some very lame know-it-alls who will lead you astray, so do remember it's just theory and that you need to test it out to see if that persons advice is of any use to you.

Lesson 1: Dissonant is not a swearword.

[loansindi]

At 2/27/10 10:07 AM, Zooloo75 wrote: Is there a reason I have to be in band to take music theory? Or is it just some stupid rule?

Well using my intricate knowledge of your anonymous high school, I'm going to say there's a reason. But you'd best ask your principal/administrators/teachers.

[Back-From-Purgatory]

A lot of what you learn in highschool you'll never use in life, save things like math and english (lol?). Once you start going to college (If you plan to that is) is when you actually learn something you'll use, as you get to pick and choose what you learn out of numerous courses to help you down your chosen career path.

But if your high school won't let you in a music theory class, I'd advise you learn it via the net or other means before you decide you'd like to learn it in college... Why?

I was planning on taking a music course in college, only to find out, the bare minimum for getting into the course is you MUST know basic theory across the board and already be proficient at one or more instruments. Not to mention, generally music courses are damned expensive. I never actually took the time to learn enough theory to pass the audition for the course I was looking at... Sooo... I took an automotive service course instead.

[nathanallenpinard]

At 2/27/10 03:40 PM, Back-From-Purgatory wrote: A lot of what you learn in highschool you'll never use in life, save things like math and english (lol?). Once you start going to college (If you plan to that is) is when you actually learn something you'll use, as you get to pick and choose what you learn out of numerous courses to help you down your chosen career path.

Well High School is a primer to college. I mean..if you go to college, you should know everything you learned in High School. So it's not really pointless.

[loansindi]

At 2/27/10 03:40 PM, Back-From-Purgatory wrote: I was planning on taking a music course in college, only to find out, the bare minimum for getting into the course is you MUST know basic theory across the board and already be proficient at one or more instruments. Not to mention, generally music courses are damned expensive. I never actually took the time to learn enough theory to pass the audition for the course I was looking at... Sooo... I took an

automotive service course instead.

Most music courses at my school require that you're pursuing at least a minor in music, which has an audition requirement. It's not that uncommon.

[Back-From-Purgatory]

At 2/27/10 07:43 PM, loansindi wrote:

At 2/27/10 03:40 PM, Back-From-Purgatory wrote: I was planning on taking a music course in college, only to find out, the bare minimum for getting into the course is you MUST know basic theory across the board and already be proficient at one or more instruments. Not to mention, generally music courses are damned expensive. I never actually took the time to learn enough theory to pass the audition for the course I was looking at... Sooo... I took an

automotive service course instead.

Most music courses at my school require that you're pursuing at least a minor in music, which has an audition requirement. It's not that uncommon.

Never said it wasn't uncommon, was just bitching really cause I am self taught in pretty much everything I play (Minus tenor sax, unfortunately I don't own one anymore), so like a lot of people that were self taught, I kind of skipped over theory and just learned by playing songs by bands I listen to.

And yes, high school is a primer for college, but depending on what you plan on taking, a lot of the stuff you learn in high school is pretty pointless... Now if you were planning on getting into anything to do with science, as an example, you'd be using almost everything you learned in highschool. Give or take a few of the optional courses most schools have (Phys. Ed./Second languages/shop/etc).

I took Biology in highschool... What for? I have no idea... just needed a science class to graduate... Looking back, I wish I took physics instead as there's a lot more stuff I'm into that would make use of such knowledge... But I really don't plan on becoming a doctor or anything like that... so Bio. was pretty well useless to me.

[nathanallenpinard]

There is no subject that's useless though. Conversation alone is what can they apply to.

[B0UNC3]

At 2/27/10 10:13 AM, sorohanro wrote: musictheory.net

Geeze I feel like such a retard now. Listening to the examples made sense...but then there was "augmented diminished suspended minor 7th triad mohito pina colada". Shouldn't it be easy for me to understand the theory if I know it practicaly?

Geeze :(

[SessileNomad]

that is fucking retarded. im glad my school didnt do that. theory is my favorite class