What if we could learn music theory as easily and organically as a child learns their first language?
It's Possible.
Language is gained in segments of relevance and simple remembrance, cultivated through connections, and compelled by curiosity.
Choosing to recognize music theory as the structure of a language, rather than individual concepts to learn, allows an integration that flows within and through the music one creates and plays.
Music is a language. It has a written form, and grammatical structure. Theory is simply grammar.
Learning to speak Music fluently is most successfully achieved in the same way a new human acquires spoken language. We are all native Music speakers; it’s our first language. All of us. Some of us however became so focused on learning our second language (spoken word) that Music had to step back for a while.
Music is a language. It has sounds, just like our spoken language has sounds.
When we speak, we connect those sounds in ways that make words that we understand. We use words to communicate with one another. In Music, we also have sounds that connect to make words. We call those sounds, tones. Music’s letters are tones. Tones are frequencies. When we bring those tones together in various combinations, we get words.
Harmonies are Music’s words.
When we create a sequence of harmonies, we get a sentence. When we string together sentences, phrases emerge. Phrases come together to make paragraphs: expressions of a concept that contain relevant detail to bring understanding. Songs discover and share a concept, and weave details into understanding.
When we speak words, we do so out of a need to communicate a thought. Our survival comes from collaboration, which is possible through the expression and sharing of thoughts with others. When we speak music, we spin our stories into melody that shares our experiences of life with one another, across time and space.
When we speak we use expressions, sounds, body language, specific words, and silence to share our story. With Music, we spin our stories, and share with each other all the ideas and thoughts and feelings we experience, and everyone on Earth can understand. It is our universal language.
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Whether you’re 8 or 103, have lots of musical knowledge or none at all, if you want the freedom to play with whatever instrument and whatever music you choose, you are encouraged to join us as we delve into the art of discovering the music’s flow.
Why Invest the Time and Effort in Learning Theory?
Theory is how we explain the structure of the language of Music.
Grammar explains the structure of spoken word languages.
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There are many reasons to acquire a solid foundation and understanding of the structure of music, including tangible literacy
Written Form of Music
When we choose to communicate through spoken language, we often find it most effective if we can also communicate through its written form. Often, having the privilege of speaking directly to another is beyond reality, so we turn to the written word to relay and share our ideas and stories.
Music is no different.
When we wish to communicate through the language of Music, and find ourselves not in the position to relay those thoughts in person, we need an alternative method of expressing our thoughts; we accomplish this through sharing our music in written form.