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Pianist, composer, and educator GARRETH BROOKE contributes this thoughtful, insightful, and provocative guest post, in which he challenges us to reconsider how we teach and learn music theory as pianists…
We’ve got a problem with music theory.
Actually, we’ve got many problems with music theory.
- We are intimidated by it
- We find it boring
- We were taught it poorly
- There are too few good resources out there
- Our exam boards have warped our understanding of what it is
- We often teach it merely so our students can progress to the next piano exam.
Thankfully it is not all bad news. There are good music theory teachers out there, just as there are musicians who have a profound understanding of theory, and there are increasing numbers of good teaching resources available. Sadly, though, they still represent a sizeable minority rather than what they should be: the overwhelming majority.
And the result of all these problems? We have lost sight of the purpose of music theory. Music theory exists to explain why music is beautiful.
Why does this chord sequence appeal to us so powerfully that it gives us spine-tingles, or makes us cry? Why does this rhythm make us want to move our bodies in a certain way?
Continue reading We’ve got a problem with music theory
