How well-versed are you in Music Theory?

How knowledgeable are you in Music Theory and Fundamentals?

You may have heard of legendary jazz musicians who were completely self-taught and played entirely by ear.

Although I will acknowledge that prodigies exist, I have met few, if any jazz experts or alchemists who will downplay the importance of a solid grounding in the Fundamentals of Music.

A solid and basic grasp of Music Theory will help you communicate with your fellow jazz alchemists ...

- With and Without Your Instrument

- On and Off The Page ( or Chart )

- On and Off The Stage

Ever wake up in the middle of the night with a strange tune or melody and fumble for pen and paper or your instrument to try and capture it before it fades into oblivion? By the way, this is Alchemy Stuff and if it hasn't happened yet, just hang in there because sooner or later it will.

If it's happened, though ...

What key was it in?

Did it have a structure? If so, was it AABA, ABAB, or ????

Did it have a bridge ( mostly found in Jazz )?Did it start at the beginning or in the middle? If it came from a dream, we're probably talking about some deep alchemy here.

Get the Picture?Knowledge of the Music Fundamentals can help you capture and nail down those ideas that seem to spring up out of nowhere. That includes both your own ideas and the ideas of others.

And, even if you can't nail those ideas down exactly note-for-note, knowing something about the framework is cool, maybe even better than a precise copy of the idea. That's because it gives you so much room to explore all those infinite variations on the idea.

So, how thorough and complete is my own grasp of Music Theory?

I'm going to be completely honest with you, my reader, and share with you the fact that I could use a lot of improvement. My grasp of theory, on speaking and discussion terms, is at best basic and rudimentary - or at least - it feels that way. Whereas, there are others I have met who have invested years of study, attained certifications, and are more qualified to actually teach and discuss Music Theory.

There may be valid reasons for my struggle to converse about it. It may or may not be something like dyslexia or ADHD. Let's just call it a Learning Modality that I recognize as being different. My Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is INTJ for anyone who may be interested. One of the ways I overcome such deficiencies is to slowly and methodically break down & reassemble things in Left-Brain fashion. This is nowhere near as exciting as when the Right-Brain kicks in and comes up with cool and unexpected stuff - sometimes on its own and other times using what the Left-Brain has worked through. Some dyslexics seem to more easily approach concepts from other perspectives. I once overheard a guitar instructor explaining to his student how he perceived notes like C, D, & E as colors like Red, Blue, & Green. This probably worked well for the instructor, but it may not have worked so well for his student unless his student had that particular learning modality of hearing and visualizing.

But, I'm not going to drag you through my modality processes so early. It's much better if you can discover and access your own learning modalities because those will comprise your uniqueness.

The ideal situation would be to have access to a Qualified Teacher of Music Theory. If you visit music stores, especially Piano Stores(as opposed to Guitar Stores) or Music Stores that place Emphasis on Education & Teaching, you may find such qualified teachers. That part of the Journey will be up to you.

If you are a student in Middle or High-School, and your school has a Music Department, you are fortunate. By all means, take advantage of it. You'll appreciate it later.

For the time being, however, for an acceptable introduction to Music Theory, we will use the following link(s) to coverage of Music Theory at About.com.

Music Theory

Basic Symbols

Scales & Intervals

Triads & Chords

In the future, I will try to include other links helpful for learning theory as I come across them.

My recommendation would be to use them as reference over time as your interest and insight grow. But, Be Flexible - Not Rigid. Learn to let your Music and your Energy flow - Like a River.