[Harp-L] Theory or not thread

["Aongus Mac Cana" <amaccana@xxxxxxxxxx>]

I find this thread interesting - especially as I am - in my dotage -
acquiring music theory on a "need to know" basis.
In the group that I play Irish Trad with (correction Try to play) there are
many accomplished trad players that have learned by ear, but there are also
a lot of younger players who seem to be lost without the sheet music, which
the group leader dishes out to all who want it. I joke with them that I only
use the sheet music for "forensic dissection of the bar I can't quite get"
Many trad purists (save me from them) are of the view that proper trad
musicians must only learn by ear. Some of these people regarded the late
Sean Maguire - (the Larry Adler of traditional fiddling) as being somehow
corrupted by an excess of classical music education.
Meanwhile I get a bit of a lift every time I acquire some nugget of theory
(often from helpful contributors to this list) that helps me to play a
little bit better.
Beannachtai
Aongus Mac Cana