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venjacques · 03-19-2012, 12:31 PM

Theory isn't just for song writing and composition. If you're learning to play a piece of music, say for piano, it can be beneficial as well.

Imagine you have 64 bars of music to learn. You realize easily that the form is AB with repeat signs. Now you have 2 sections of 32 bars to learn. Smaller pieces.

Then you realize that each of those 32 bar sections are just made up of 8 bar phrases, 4 each. Simpler still. Then you realize that the phrases are actually duplicates of each other, in some regards. Without playing a note, you are able to break it down in to just having to learn about 22 bars of actual music instead of 32.

From there, you look at the first phrase. It starts with the notes C D E F G and then a high C on top. The left hand has C E G E G E G E. Well that's 13 notes. 13 things to memorize, right? Not if you know your theory!

I'd look at that, and say "oh there's a C major five finger pattern in the right hand, topped off with a high tonic note. And the left hand is just an alberti bass in C major. 13 notes, turns into "C major" to me. 13 has turned into 1.

The next measure does something like A G F E D (descending) C in the right, with F A C A C A C A in the left hand. Now anyone worth their salt would see that it's just a similar function as the first measure, just in F major.

If you do this throughout the piece, you can turn a significantly intricate sounding piece into about 10 concepts in your head. The simplification sums it up, makes you think in a large scope, and makes it easier to digest, rather than the novice that's still stuck in the first measure trying to remember that C goes to D then to E then to F and then G, and then it goes to (counts the lines and spaces...)that's a D I mean C!.

03-19-2012, 12:31 PM	#29 (permalink)
venjacques Groupie Join Date: Mar 2012 Posts: 48	Theory isn't just for song writing and composition. If you're learning to play a piece of music, say for piano, it can be beneficial as well. Imagine you have 64 bars of music to learn. You realize easily that the form is AB with repeat signs. Now you have 2 sections of 32 bars to learn. Smaller pieces. Then you realize that each of those 32 bar sections are just made up of 8 bar phrases, 4 each. Simpler still. Then you realize that the phrases are actually duplicates of each other, in some regards. Without playing a note, you are able to break it down in to just having to learn about 22 bars of actual music instead of 32. From there, you look at the first phrase. It starts with the notes C D E F G and then a high C on top. The left hand has C E G E G E G E. Well that's 13 notes. 13 things to memorize, right? Not if you know your theory! I'd look at that, and say "oh there's a C major five finger pattern in the right hand, topped off with a high tonic note. And the left hand is just an alberti bass in C major. 13 notes, turns into "C major" to me. 13 has turned into 1. The next measure does something like A G F E D (descending) C in the right, with F A C A C A C A in the left hand. Now anyone worth their salt would see that it's just a similar function as the first measure, just in F major. If you do this throughout the piece, you can turn a significantly intricate sounding piece into about 10 concepts in your head. The simplification sums it up, makes you think in a large scope, and makes it easier to digest, rather than the novice that's still stuck in the first measure trying to remember that C goes to D then to E then to F and then G, and then it goes to (counts the lines and spaces...)that's a D I mean C!. __________________ It's just another day.