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----- Original Message -----
From: "John Amato" <jamato316@...

"Let's use our ears AND theory". I don't recall anyone
saying that theory is not necessary -- or that only
"ears" is the way --

Dave, (Boot to full size)

I agree with John, but have something to add. I went the classical rout because back then, there was nothing else available.

The notational system has a theory unto itself that in reality only serves to justify the notational system.
A student is confronted with this first, and given the idea that this is music theory. However, it's only the theory that pertains to the notational system alone. Yes, I know that we're stuck with it, and have no choice but to learn it.

Music notation is not music. It only represents music. Music is the sound and the rhythms that animate it. Notation only approximates the music it's supposed to represent. it's up to the player's imagination and feeling to supply the rest.
Ear Training in schools is usually presented as tests. This tends not to create an atmosphere that makes a musician fall in love with sounds. They're just glad they got by, and it's the hell and gone over with.

Once we get past the notational system, conventional music theory tackles the sound. However, all of the terms
presented in the theory of music notation, get heaved into the pot along with a myriad of new labels. All of this turns into a morass of verbiage that usually makes a Jazz musician with a talented ear cut and run. If they don't cut and run, they usually wall it off in a sort of conceptual cyst, and go ahead on and play.

We knew what a cat looked like, sounded like, purred like, and moved like, before we ever saw the word "Cat" on a piece of paper. It was an easy word to learn and understand. Imagine the reverse of this, starting with the word first, and then back tracking to explain what a cat was to somebody, who'd never seen one, and there's no photograph of a cat. With music, one can't show sound in a photograph.

In my teaching I always start with the sound first, and then follow up with the verbiage. This seems to facilitate things a lot. Teaching music theory with Cakewalk is great also, because the student gets to hear what the symbol represents right away.

At it's best practical music theory is a blueprint for educating the ear. A good blueprint can always be referred back to for double checking any weak points. A blueprint can also be expanded upon bit by bit as its limits are thoroughly realized. So, as I say, I agree with what John Amato says.


Dave Woods www.musictolight.org