I've played in many bands, performed in many shows and venues, written over a hundred songs, produced 7 albums, I play guitar, bass, mandolin, ukulele, drums, keyboards, and sing, and I host an open mic twice a month where I perform for at least an hour each night, but I've never learned theory, or how to read sheet music. According to 1bm I'm not a musician. That's alright, I've always considered myself just a hack anyway.

I'm sorry. But to play that many instruments and have written as many songs as you say, I feel like you would have at least picked up on some music theory. Like scales or something.

That's not what I said. Anyone who plays music on an instrument is a musician. It only demeans the word if you put the concept of a musician on a double standard-y pedestal like I mentioned earlier. Also, your faith in theory suggests that you're not a musician because there's quite a bit more to music than that.

I laughed at these parts... is that ok?

What double standard?

And it's easy to see that there is more to music than just theory. A number of great artists had a lack of understanding of theory. And you're right. I'm not a musician. I don't understand theory very well if at all.

If you hired someone to paint your house and they painted your driveway with a broom, would you say "he's not even a painter!" or "that is the dumbest and worst painter I've ever seen in my life."? Music is for everyone, some are better than others at it, and thinking that you have to adhere to Western music theory or have a certain level of understanding of it is simply elitist.

Most musicians would highly disagree with how highly you place theory in the importance of a musician. It's very simple: A musician is someone who makes music. Theory can be and often is a tool that helps a musician along with that, but it is by no means necessary. Ever heard delta blues? Those guys were the realest musicians on the planet but a lot of them couldn't afford classical training so they took it into their own hands and became brilliant musicians of their own.

Brother if you understood theory a little more I'm pretty certain that you wouldn't think the same way about what is and isn't a musician.

Music theory is kind of stupid tbh

Uh, no. I'd say, "I'm not paying you and you're removing that from my driveway. Do you seriously not know what a house is?"

*Ahem* I'll yell it this time! SOME OF THE GREATEST ARTISTS OF ALL TIME DIDN'T UNDERSTAND MUSIC THEORY VERY WELL IF AT ALL.

And they're still musicians. Thanks for helping prove yourself wrong.

No. You said I put music theory on a pedestal. I don't. I put musicians who spend years learning despite the needlessness of it on a pedestal. Then you demean them and their hardwork by saying anyone can be a musician by just picking up a instrument.