What are your experiences with self-teaching music theory? You don’t have to be a 100% autodidact to answer this question; you probably have had times when you read a book or watched a video to learn some specific idea or technique. Ideally, I’d like to compile some guides for readers who don’t have a teacher.

Personally, I prefer close reading of books and articles, but I know that’s hardly a universal approach.

  • IllBeBach@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    2
    ·
    1 year ago

    Currently mostly self-teaching myself now. I had one composition lesson and now he’s busy but that was enough to spark a bunch of motivation to look up things where I thought would solve my main issue: not having the piece/improvisation stay in one key but to be able to freely change key to be able to access different “flavours”. I started with Jens Larsen’s videos on Jazz theory, tried a bunch of Max Reger’s book on modulation, got a few tips from Anne-Kathrin Dern (especially on harmonic planing), went through some June Lee/Jacob Collier stuff…that’s all for now. Something else will come up for me to learn. In the meantime, I actually ought to write/improvise some music with this newfound knowledge.

    • Composter@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      2
      ·
      1 year ago

      Reger’s book is interesting because it doesn’t teach directly what it seems to be about (practical and musical ways to actually pull off these transitions) but it does teach principles of the fastest route and common tones to get your brain moving. Particularly C to B# major. You learn these 2 chord motions and how to daisy chain them.