Music Theory For Dummies
Chapter One
What Is Music Theory Anyway?
In This Chapter
* Understanding the value of music theory
* Checking out a bit of music history
* Getting to know a few theorists
* Finding out why the piano is so central
One of the most important things to remember about music theory is that
music came first. Music existed for thousands of years before theory
came along to explain what people were trying to accomplish by pounding on
their drums. So, don't ever think that you can't be a good musician just
because you've never taken a theory class. In fact, if you are a good musician,
you already know a lot of theory. You just may not know the words or scientific
formulas for what you're doing.
The concepts and rules that make up music theory are very much like the
grammatical rules that govern written language - which also came along
after people had successfully learned how to talk to one another. Just as
being able to transcribe language made it possible for people far away to
"hear" conversations and stories the ... read full excerpt from Music Theory For Dummies ebook
