Curious how many guitarists jam and suck at theory?

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I use theory when I don't know what I'm looking for (a sound in my head or something). Or I'll play a chord and have no idea what it is, but need to know to create a backing track (then I get lazy and use an online chord finder app).
 
shadow070 said:
Well, i know my scales. I get alot of chords from them, but if youd ask me i wouldnt know what im doing, it sounds good and thats it.
I know the chords in the major scale both open and 7th chords in 5 positions and thats what ive done with for a long time.

A vew months back i started with triads, well that ended after a week or so. Always when i start i dont bother finishing.

Now im gonna start at the beginning. I work, have more then a fulltime job. Im not gonna have a music carreer so ill take it slow from now.
I promised myself this time to just follow surtain steps, no mather how long, but ill do the theory.

This week ill start with interval training, including getting the notes on the fretboard down verry well. When im comfutable with both ill start with the triads.
From there ill use my knowlidge for getting to really understand the minor scales and their posibility's.

Ok, this isnt what you asked lol. But i didnt know much but its time now to do it.
I want to be able to know what ime playing and why. Not just mindless playing anymore.
When creating something ill never look at it from a theory kind of vew but ill know what im doing and what my posibilitys are and ill never hit a wall with where should my progression go next etc.

In the end knowledge is power

tip for myself is, do it now, no matter how long and enjoy the ride.


(sorry for my bad english)
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Sounds like we could be related :)
 
i have a really good ear for figuring out shit as i hear it, with guitar, so i can generally fall into key, and wank something cool with whatever is being played, but i don't know what the fuck i'm doing as far as theory goes. I know a few modes and scales, and the very basics, but i'll struggle to tell you what note i'm playing unless its really obvious. some times i feel like an idiot savant.
 
After many attempts, its been months again since i played. Soon ill pick it up and start all over again..... although it might take me 3 weeks or so to releaarn some triads, dropp chords, scales etc.

Its a on going process......struggle!

Since i got my child i have changed. I remember gassing for gear, now a days im gassing just to get some time to play the guitar :p
 
I know a lot of guys who aren't formally schooled, and it doesn't slow them down for what they're doing. It kinda depends on the application. There are patterns and tendencies in music that we all notice, and that's a lot of what theory is, even if we know it by different nomenclature.
 
You can do basic beginner jams and suck at theory. However, how to improvise requires some fretboard theory. Improvisation is also a way to learn the fretboard. So if you take some classes on improv and tell a teacher this is what you want, then in a half a year you will be able to get up on any jam session stage with other beginners and actually be able to listen to what they are playing and know sort of what you should play to sound good with them.
 
JimAnsell said:
i have a really good ear for figuring out shit as i hear it, with guitar, so i can generally fall into key, and wank something cool with whatever is being played, but i don't know what the fuck i'm doing as far as theory goes. I know a few modes and scales, and the very basics, but i'll struggle to tell you what note i'm playing unless its really obvious. some times i feel like an idiot savant.
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This is me for sure. I can jam over almost anything and have a very vague idea of what I'm doing but I'm mostly just flying blind. I just can't find it in me to get disciplined but I still have fun. We do a lot of improvising, which means I hit a lot of clams!
 
I have a pretty basic or intermediate level of theory knowledge, but I basically only use it for leads.

I fly nearly blind when writing riffs the vast majority of the time - like I may recognize what key or scale I'm using, but it's never forefront in my mind.

Alot of the super theory geeks I know can never get anything done because they're too busy obsessing over irrelevant minutia. I know not everyone is like that, but that's what the people I personally know are like.
 
My bassist who is a theory encyclopedia always points out the strange chords, timings and meters in the songs we write together. I only play what I hear in my head and theory never comes into the picture. I know what my instrument sounds like and how to get the sounds I want from it. I think that's all anyone ever needs IMHO.
 
Don't fall into the trap of doing what's already been done, studied and thought of as 'Proper' , break new ground and let your imagination run wild .
 
HellraiserJohnny said:
Quoting the Late, Great Frank Zappa . . . "I'm specialized, I have a working knowledge of the instrument and given a space in time, as well as a relationship with the others I play with, It's me against the forces of nature". That's how I approach improvising, "Jamming" and music in general....

I studied music theory at a private conservatory for several years. I found it small and tedious and felt it closed more creative doors than it opened. I then learned to put my emotions, feelings and energy into my music and that opened the floodgates on my creativity. Some say it came naturally to me and I beg to differ. I spent many years practicing scales and chords 6-10 hours a day in the beginning and learned songs off of records which was priceless ear training.

My bassist who is a theory encyclopedia always points out the strange chords, timings and meters in the songs we write together. I only play what I hear in my head and theory never comes into the picture. I know what my instrument sounds like and how to get the sounds I want from it. I think that's all anyone ever needs IMHO.
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For me, theory comes in after I accidentally stumble onto a really cool riff, and then I want to transition into another part of the song.
 
tlp1234 said:

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Anytime I think something is absolutely incredible - I always have to put in context of “oh ya, Frank already did this - but better”.

Been a fan since before I even picked up a guitar or knew what “amazing fkn genius talent” was. Fact.

And to this day - his tunes are in regular daily rotation - “genius” never gets old. Especially when ya give it some “eyebrows and a moustache” 🤩
 
But to the OPs original question - I’m moderately equipped in the executable theory domain; but more so equipped in the listening domain. So basically - I keep theory on the fringe when I’m playing writing or jamming (most certainly the latter - jamming is open source finger fret code). But stick me in front of the monitors or with my eargoggles on and I can bore the shit outta ya by explaining what’s happening with the music at a theoretical level - if it so deems necessary.

That said - ALL that said - I always remind myself that most of the best tunes or those with the greatest staying power, were essentially simple tunes (NOT including my prose re: FZ above) - simple. Just get a riff, a melody, feel it out and lay it out. I stumble across a tonne of my stuff by late night noodling - and more often than not - hit the record button just to capture the lines. From there - piece by piece - they get built up.

That’s all I got as far as me and theory go. When I over-analyze, Franks voice pops into my head an says “Shut up n play yer guitar”
 
I've got a solid theory background but honestly seldom use it at this stage...I also don't recommend getting too wrapped up in it beyond what's required to communicate with other musicians because most of that goes right out the window in the heat of gig or jam battle. I'll take a developed ear + a solid understanding of the fretboard roadmap over A+ schooling all day everyday.

Perfect example: the drummer, bass player and other guitarist in our rock band are also in a successful / well booked horn driven band. The horn section has a somewhat revolving cast of members because horn players are like that, always looking for a sub, but most of these guys have been in this band 6+ years, played the tunes live literally hundreds of times. These guys would have a fucking coronary if their charts went missing, despite having played the songs 1000 times. Zero improv or memory skills.... Now, the one guy who most often is recommended to sub has been blacklisted by the horn section leader, because he doesn't read sheet music, at all. This same guy is one of the most badass sax players in town, premiere soloist and improvisor and nails all the standard stuff. Amazing player. Yet, bug up his ass horn section leader has a thing against guys that cant read, despite the fact that on a tech level the other guy smokes every other permanent member of that band. It's a joke.

Don't ignore the basics, but spend the time developing your ear and the mechanics required to get the sounds out of whatever instrument you play, the rest will fall into place.
 
I think the thing about electric guitar is that it is so expressive. You have your platform of guitars, your amps, effects to shape your overall sound.

Then, the instrument is so expressive itself with techniques like rhythm, vibrato, bending, sliding, tapping, picking ect. Those techniques are almost as equally as important as the knowledge of theory. That’s the practical application of it.

The basic guitarist is probably going to play with drummer, bassist and maybe another guitarist so the theory usually doesn’t get too deep.

Obviously the more theory you learn and understand the more well rounded musician you’d be. It’s finding that balance of learning the theory and developing the technique to apply and squeeze the of that knowledge.

I think there’s an old quote that rings true to me from ozzy to randy rhoads something like, “we write songs for the fans not other guitarists”.
 
Frank, are you Sjguckin ?

If so, you joined in 2013, last posted in 2015 and didn't have to join again yesterday. Maybe you lost your original account deets?

If not, welcome BTW.
 
Monkey Man said:
Frank, are you Sjguckin ?

If so, you joined in 2013, last posted in 2015 and didn't have to join again yesterday. Maybe you lost your original account deets?

If not, welcome BTW.
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Sorry, im not the person who had that account. I actually joined because I just bought a metalhead modded Marshall superlead, and after scouring the internet, someone on this forum seemed to be the only person really talking about the mod.
 
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