Re: [Harp-L] Are there pro harp players who do not know theory?

[The Iceman <icemanle@xxxxxxx>]

Yes, there are pro harp players who do not know theory.


This reminds me of a college experience. I studied with 2 jazz pianists - the staff jazz pianist was an old black dude that had come up through the ranks in the 30's, 40's, 50's, etc. His basic approach was "Play out as much as possible as often as you can and you will eventually eliminate the bad note choices." He really did not know much about theory and I did not stick with him for very long.


This does work, but takes an awfully long time. In the old days before jazz theory was a big hit at universities, this was the way a lot of players learned. There was a lot of opportunity to play and many jam sessions. With the decline of big bands, interest in jazz and $ for touring bands, a lot of musicians started teaching at universities and the whole legitimate jazz education scene was born.


I preferred to spend time with the other jazz piano instructor, as he was into understanding the language of music from a theory standpoint. It seemed to me to be a shorter path to where I wanted to be.


However, you gets your choices and you takes your pick.


Nowadays, many students are not interested in learning theory - just wanting to play - kinda the old school path to mastery. I've learned to balance my teaching to help them as well as those that want to expand their theory horizons. (I do sneak in a little bit of theory to the old school students when they are not really looking).




-----Original Message-----
From: John Neff <soulchicken@xxxxxxxx>
To: michaelrubinharmonica <michaelrubinharmonica@xxxxxxxxx>; harp-l <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thu, May 19, 2011 9:30 am
Subject: RE: [Harp-L] Are there pro harp players who do not know theory?



"Yet nowadays, 10 years of him playing in clubs later, he'll still say he knows 
nothing about theory but he will speak in context using theory terms."
 
This sounds to me like the fact that, even if you know no theory in the 
beginning, as soon as you start interacting with other musicians in a band 
context you are almost forced to learn some theory in order to communicate and 
interact in that setting.
 
I agree that spontanious improvisation is better when the mind is free from 
overthinking theory, but in the context of playing with others in an organized 
structure like a band, it is still neccesary to know some basic theory to 
function. (ie what key, I-IV-V changes in the blues, etc.) So it seems to me 
that it becomes impossible for a musician to avoid learning any theory unless he 
spends his entire musical life as a solo player.

 
> Date: Thu, 19 May 2011 11:15:43 -0500
> From: michaelrubinharmonica@xxxxxxxxx
> To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: [Harp-L] Are there pro harp players who do not know theory?
> 
> As you guys probably have figured out, I am a big believer in what I
> consider to be very basic music theory as important to reaching high
> levels of playing. Every now and then I teach a student who wants
> nothing to do with it and we reach a type of compromise with the
> lesson plans.
> 
> I have worked with a student for three years who is now a fairly
> famous harp player. He was not into theory and we spent lots of time
> with him imitating me by ear. Yet nowadays, 10 years of him playing
> in clubs later, he'll still say he knows nothing about theory but he
> will speak in context using theory terms.
> 
> Are there any pros on the list who really can honestly say they do not
> know what I am talking about when I say:
> 
> Major scale
> Blues Scale
> Minor
> flat 3rds
> the circle of fifths
> 1st, 2nd and third positions
> the 12 bar blues progression
> I, IV , V chords
> half steps and whole steps
> 
> If so, what type of music do you play? How do you think about what
> you are doing? Is there any kind of music you have a difficult time
> playing? How do you find which harp to play for the key the band is
> in?
> 
> And for those people into theory, what other theory concepts do you
> believe are so crucial that you cannot communicate with other
> musicians or make good note choices without them?
> Thanks in advance,
> Michael Rubin
> Michaelrubinharmonica.com