THEORY vs. PLAYING BY EAR
by Rob Brown
If you are a musician, you are probably aware of the long-standing debate of whether learning theory or simply learning to play by ear is better. Well, I can't answer that question for you. You, as a musician, must decide which approach works best for you. But I can offer my experience and insight. First off, I believe in learning theory. But I also play a good deal by ear. But when doing so, I can always relate back to my theory training, so that I know exactly what I'm doing and what I can further do. I am currently beginning to study jazz theory. The most important thing that has done for me so far is to illustrate the importance of how to solo over a chord. It's very easy to crank it up and wail over a song, but it's an entirely different thing to outline the chords you're playing over and, equally important, to fluidly move from one chord to the next. Theory helps with chords, also. If someone tells me to play a C-7, I might know of four other chords I can substitute which will work the same harmonically. Then there's also inversions... and chord solos - now, there's another world entirely. In case I lost you there, here's my point: theory has a lifetime of knowledge to offer, but you must, in the end, do what works for you. For a few influential CDs, check out Wes Montgomery: Full House, John Coltraine: My favorite Things, Miles Davis: Kind of Blue, Grant Green: Matador, Jimi Hendrix: Electric Lady Land, Janes Addiction: all 3 albums, Red Hot Chili Peppers: Blood Sugar Sex Magic, Pink Floyd: Animals, and so on...
EDITORIALS & COMMENTS
by Chris Phillips
Recently returning from a conference in Atlanta concerning the implications of cannabis in the scientific and medical oommunities, I came to some conclusions in the airport about general human nature. You see, I was merely a guest of this conference (my fiancee being the scientist) and was in fact going for a little vacation time, a change of scenery, and an optimistic belief that they might need a test subject... I found myself quite well rested as we made our way home and decided that since my next six hours would be spent in or near huge flying machines, a couple of tall beers would do me just fine. Every five minutes or so, the Atlanta airport loudspeaker would mutter, "please report any suspicious or unusual people to the nearest law enforcement offcial". Well, this got me thinking, as I looked around the airport waiting room. These people are all suspicious and unusual. They don't look alike, each one seems to be from a tribe all their own. Walking and talking billboards, flashes of unusual color, sparkles of gold and silver, carrying items of great importance. All seeking individuality, the freaks are the ones who look alike (what, did you two call each other and coordinate your outfits last night.) but don't push it too far (would you look at THAT). What wouldn't be unusual is if we all were naked, with tough hides, hairy knuckles and sinister foreheads. The tourist smelling of chicken wings with the gut by Bud in the Hawaiian shirt and the baseball cap that reads I am with stupid would be the suspicious one. Unfortunately, in this airport, that loud tacky tourist fits right in and the only suspicious one is me with my long hair and two tall beer grin. Guess I should keep hiding behind my Hesse paperback and hope nobody turns me in...
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