This caught my attention. A little bit of theory can help. But imagine controlling several synths with a bit of hardware only. Chords all in harmony.
9 Likes
I am a slow learner and music theory looks really complicated to me. All books I have looked into didnât pull me in. Looking at the chord wheel is like looking at hieroglyphs for me.
And yeah in the end this might just be laziness. With a grain of fear to not understand it after all the hours I would have put into learning. Sounds irrational. It is. But thatâs how my retarded brain works⌠Now roast me.
2 Likes
Haha dude I think weâve all felt that same way at one point, no roasting necessary, very relatable. Iâm no music theory genius by any means but I keep learning and each thing I learn adds to my overall understanding and makes the next piece of information easier to understand and learn. Itâs a cumulative effect.
2 Likes
That chord wheel is confusing because you dont understand the context. I get the context and scratched my head at first when I saw it too! Itd be like seeing an algebraic equation without knowing basic arithmetic.
That is the biggest obstacle to theoryâyou really do have to start from the ground up. You have to start with understanding how we construct scalesâŚthen how we build chords from those scales, then how we extend those chords, then how all that relates back to key signatures, etc.
But its 2020 and Im sure there are great theory from the ground up courses on YouTube.
2 Likes
Learn piano spend a few hours a week learning theory and compositional theory. Keep a note book. Write down what you learn from books and videos and apply. Thatâs how I am doing it. Recently I found out there are only 7 patterns on the piano that with the right chords you can play anything. It is scary. But it liberates you eventually. Modes and circle of 5ths are just the beginning. Eventually you will be able to truly express the sounds you hear in your head and more importantly with theory. Expand them into full tracks
4 Likes
Yup, I guess there are tons of good tutorials on youtube and as books⌠but for me itâs like I never keep on learning because at some point lose interest or âgot other stuff to doâ and then itâs like missing out in school - not using / extending the knowledge ends always in forgetting it completely (I guess we all know that from any other language).
But well, thatâs just my personal hustle. Also I have to add that I bought my first music instrument a few years ago.
Is there really a need for this old discussion if OP clearly asks for a piece of hardware?
3 Likes
I am the OP lol. So far ive roused a lot of animosity against hardware. But some encouraging ones. Theoryboard looks a monster. Id like to try it but deskspace is limited.
1 Like
I ordered a NDLR this week. This will kickstart my understanding of music theory for sure. 
1 Like
Its a good size for my desk.
2 Likes
I know. and if read correctly you didnât ask if the forum thinks that you should learn music theory or not. 
1 Like
No lol absolutely. Im old and ive no interest. I just want some noodling.
2 Likes
Iâd say itâs still on track, a brain with music theory inside is 100% a piece of chord progression hardwareâŚ
3 Likes
Thanks a lot for explanations. Thatâs clear like that. So yes, I knew this fact, and gear are able to provide solution with more or less efficience, it depends about the gear.
At the time, i saw one or two videos about those question and the way some composers use to organise and construct their music. Quite interesting. I learn with that, but I must admit that the gear realy simplify the use of chords for guy like me and permit one finger chords. No performance problem, just listening and chaining chords without difficulties. Then possibility to edit chords to work deepest if needed.
SorryâŚ
I think the ear is a good teacher in whatâs right or wrongâŚ
Dissonance is as welcome as harmonyâŚ
Repetition sometimes is joy, sometimes it is boringâŚ
I like to explore the sound between the notes.
Theory is one thing, turning knobs and moving sliders and enjoy what happens is rewarding too.
Yeah of course, nothing I said contradicts anything you said here. I merely said that music theory describes what you hear. Theory is not separate from or contradictory to experimentation, and dissonance is as much a part of theory as consonance.
2 Likes
NDLR
Kordbot
Pyramid
Squid
You know, as soon as I can find one 2nd hand in Europe, I buy a Kordbot.
Noodling, without working to learn how to put our fingers on a keyboard is a real big great pleasure. No shame, just pleasure.
Few days ago I created a bunch of userchords in Pyramid. I robed them from Messiaen, Debussy and Satie. I felt like being a music angel noodling with my one figer chords, and feeling great pleasure with my synth.
Test gear, approve gear, have fun with no work at all.
The rest of my life I work a lot and improove my knowledge every day. But on the 7th day I rest noodling. No regret, no remorse would have said Metallica, just unshame pleasure.
7 Likes
Well, using a device like the NDLR (as in the video Sabana linked) to automate the process of playing and changing chords is not necessarily a crutchâany more than using another kind of sequencer is. You still have to decide which progressions to use, set up the patches, design the song, etc.
Or in your purist view are we still supposed to sit there banging out arpeggiated notes because sequencing them would be a âcrutchââŚ?
Ha! I actually did this today, sampling an OP-1 into a Digitakt. I had the sound of the arpeggio in mind, so I just played it in. Quicker.