Loren Weisman said:

This is a short piece from my college speakers segment videos. In this one, I go in to the importance about learning music theory. Regardless of what instrument you play, an understanding of theory will give you more opportunities, options and chances at numerous careers in music and having the chance to work in music full time over those that do no have theory well understood.

As a music consultant, I strongly urge everyone in a band to brush up on theory for writing, for creative ideas and for production. You do not have to be Mr. or Mrs. Classically trained, but the better the sense you have of theory, the more options you have to create, produce, react and resonate to the music around you.

No offense to the blogger, but for once I disagree with something he wrote!!! Oops, I said that out loud?

Even “music consultants” can say wrong things sometimes!

When you want to become a musician and become successful in the music industry, it is a choice if you want to learn music theory or not. You don’t need to know the name of the notes, all this, and that. You can just have a really good ear and improvise it all.

There are famous musicians of today that don’t even know shit about music theory. They just have a really good ear. Musicians like Dave Mustaine, Neil Young, Jeff Beck, B.B. King, Jimmy Page, etc. Those guys are really good guitarists. In interviews they have said they don’t know anything about music theory and they  just improvise well. Yet, those guys are still able to become guitar legends.

I know some music theory here and there, but I’m no expert at it. You can still get good opportunities in music even if you don’t know music theory. You don’t need to be a professionally trained musician to sound like a pro, just play whatever sounds good to you is all that matters.

Kev

Musician Birthdays: Fats Dominoe (singer/songwriter, pianist, famous for the hit, “Blueberry Hill”, Johnny Cash (famous for hits, “Folsom Prison Blues”, “Walk the Line”, “Ring of Fire”, etc. Also famous for performing at Folsom Prison & San Quentin, he also had his own TV show and famous for his collaboration with wife June Carter, also known for working with Rick Rubin for the “American Records”, born in 1932), Erykah Badu, (US singer/songwriter, producer, poet, activist. Famous for the hit, “On & On”, born in 1971)

– In 1955: Billboard reported that for the first time since their introduction in 1949, 45rpm singles were outselling the old standard 78’s.

– In 1964: The Beatles worked on the final mixes for ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’ and ‘You Can’t Do That’ tracks. The single, which was released the following month, topped the charts all over the world.

– In 1965: Guitarist Jimmy Page released a solo single called ‘She Just Satisfies’ in the UK. Page played all the instruments on it except for the drums, and produced the track, as well as singing lead vocals.

– In 1966: Nancy Sinatra went to No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘These Boots Are Made For Walking’, also a UK No.1.

– In 1966: The Beatles ‘Rubber Soul’ was at No.1 on the US album chart, the group’s seventh US album chart topper.

– In 1977: The Eagles went to No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘New Kid On Town’, the group’s third US No.1, a No.20 hit n the UK.

– In 1983: Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’ went to No.1 on the US album chart. It went on to become the most successful album of all time with sales over 50 million copies.

– In 2001: The Darkness made their live debut when they played at Camden HQ. It was a tribute gig to raise money for the family of Ed’s band mate from his previous band Q-Sling who had committed suicide earlier that month.

– In 2009: A 10-minute version of The Beatles’ ‘Revolution 1’ was leaked onto the internet, giving fans a never-before-heard listen of what the White Album sessions must have been like. Only two copies of the take were made when the song was completed on June 4th, 1968. One copy left the studio with Lennon that day and the other remained behind. It was unclear which copy appeared on the bootleg, nor how anyone acquired it.

Musician Birthdays: George Harrison (guitarist, singer for the Beatles, also singer/songwriter for solo career. Famous for hits, “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”, “My Sweet Lord”, and “Got My Mind Set On You”, born in 1943)

– In 1956: Elvis Presley had his first national hit when ‘I Forgot To Remember To Forget’ went to No.1 on the Billboard Country & Western chart.

– In 1964: The Beatles finished recording their next single ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’, at Abbey Road studios, London, (they had first recorded the song on 29 January 1964 at Path Marconi Studios in Paris). They also recorded the B-side, ‘You Can’t Do That’ and another new song ‘I Should Have Known Better’.

– In 1972: Led Zeppelin appeared in front of over 25,000 fans at the Western Springs Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand, the group’s first ever gig in New Zealand, (and the largest crowd ever to attend a concert on the island). A special train was chartered from Wellington to bring fans to the concert. News reviews the next day reported the band could be heard over five miles from the Stadium.

– In 1984: ‘Jump’, by Van Halen started a five-week run at No.1 on the US singles chart, a No.7 hit in the UK.

– In 1985: U2 began their first full north American arena tour, starting at the Dallas Reunion Arena in Texas.

– In 1995: Madonna started a seven week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Take A Bow’, the track which was co-written with Babyface became a No.16 hit in the UK.

– In 1998: During Shawn Colvin’s acceptance speech at the Grammy Awards, Ol Dirty Bastard grabbed the microphone and made various observations such as “Puffy is good, but Wu-Tang is the best” and “Wu-Tang is for the children”. He was then escorted offstage.

– In 2001: Rapper Lil’ Kim said a shooting which happened after she left a New York radio station was unconnected to her. One man was wounded in the incident outside the radio station Hot 97 in New York when five men fired 22 bullets. The New York Daily News reported the incident was the result of a feud between Lil’ Kim and rival rappers, Capone-N-Noreaga.

– In 2004: The Rolling Stones topped a US Rich List of music£s biggest money makers. The list was based on earnings during 2003 when the band played their ‘Forty Licks’ tour, which made them $212 million, (£124.7m) in ticket, CD, DVD and merchandise sales. The three million fans who went to the shows spent an average of $11 (£6.47) each on merchandise. Bruce Springsteen was listed in second place and The Eagles in third.

– In 2005: Whitney Houston was rushed to a hospital in Paris with suspected food poisoning after becoming ill during a flight from Los Angeles to Spain.

– In 2006: George Michael was found slumped over in a car in Hyde Park, London. A concerned person spotted the singer and called police who after being checked by paramedics was arrested on suspicion of possessing drugs and then released on bail. Michael made a public statement about the incident and said “I was in possession of class C drugs which is an offense and I have no complaints about the police who were professional throughout.” He also said that the event was “my own stupid fault, as usual.”

– In 2009: President Obama honoured Stevie Wonder, his musical hero, with America’s highest award for pop music, the Library of Congress’ Gershwin prize at a ceremony at the White House. The president said the Motown legend had been the soundtrack to his youth and he doubted that his wife would have married him if he hadn’t been a fan. Wonder’s song ‘Signed, Sealed, Delivered’ had been the theme song during Obama’s presidential campaign.

– In 2010: Marie Osmond’s teenaged son, Michael Blosil, was found dead on the ground below an apartment balcony in Los Angeles, California.

– In 2011: Susan ‘Suze’ Rotolo, died from lung cancer. She was the one time girlfriend of Bob Dylan, and the inspiration of some of his early songs. Susan appeared in one of the decade’s signature images, walking with Dylan arm-in-arm for the cover photo of his breakthrough album Freewheelin Bob Dylan.