Main Body
Prelude: So what is music theory?
Most briefly, theory in the context of music is in contrast to the practice of music. This makes intuitive sense because making music is doing something, applying your knowledge to create something that takes skill (and practice!). This is what people mean when they say, “In theory, I know how to drive a car” (not someone you want to drive with). Theory is the understanding of how that process is achieved and communicated; practice is knowing how to apply it.
What music theory is not:
Let’s clarify that music theory is not limited to what music majors learn in a degree program.
What music theory is:
Articulating whatever helps systematically observe, document, define, explain, classify, and communicate through words, symbols, and sound what musical creators and performers are doing–anywhere, anytime.
Function 1 – Technical: Understanding the correct voicing of a chord in a jazz chart, creating a loop, or transposing a score require a detailed understanding of technical elements (like chords, software, or intervals). Understanding and being proficient with the concepts and notation of how musicians communicate is one of the primary jobs of music theory. Too often though, people stop there with the definition and understanding of music theory. A really practical application of the technical elements is the predictive and analytical application of these details in auditions and other teaching evaluations of performances.
Experienced musicians and teachers can quickly tell in an audition or other performance what level a student is at, and what aspects of their performance need improvement. The errors that a student makes in a given performance are quantifiable regarding pitch, rhythm, phrasing, etc. This enables a teacher to provide detailed feedback on what needs to be corrected, both technically and stylistically.
Johann Bach, 1685-1750
Thelonius Monk, 1917-1982
John Legend, 1978-
When it comes to making music, what I am describing here, musicians do all the time, even without formal theory training. They may not have all the technical terms, but that does not stop them from creating amazing works of art, and communicating with other musicians. Music theory is not necessary to many music-making activities, but it is necessary for others. If you want to be able to communicate efficiently and more deeply with other musicians, if you want to teach music, then knowing how to read music, and understand the more technical aspects opens up new doors of opportunity—artistically and financially.
What else does theory mean?
There’s a further sense of the word theory that needs to be clarified. It’s common in everyday conversation for people to use the word “theory” completely in the wrong way. Here is a very common phrase: “It’s just a theory.” That is the wrong use of the word theory, with the word “just” in front of it, as in, merely, only, less-than-something-else.
One of my favorite TV shows, Star Trek (in this case, the “Enterprise” series), gave a great example of using this word incorrectly:
Dr. Phlox is making a counterpoint to the Captain’s comment about evolution, and says, “Evolution is more than a theory…” I know what he is trying to say, but this just feeds into the misconception. Evolution doesn’t need to be more than a theory; it’s perfectly satisfied to function as a theory. Let’s take a brief trip back to science class (don’t worry, we’ll get to the music soon) to clarify the terms.
A theory is a systematic complex of ideas that explains a phenomenon. A hypothesis is a testable statement relating to an observable phenomenon. A scientific law is a predictive statement (usually a mathematical formulation) regarding a phenomenon. A law doesn’t explain how the phenomenon acts, but it’s very useful in applications.
Unlike the Saturday morning cartoon Schoolhouse Rock, “I’m Just a Bill,” theories are not like legislative bills that “grow up” into laws.
Unfortunately, scientific laws are too often explained by stating, “When a theory has enough empirical observations and data, it can be stated as a law.” That’s only partially true. Yes, formulating a law does take a lot of observation and data, but the goal is not only to turn theories into laws; they are parallel processes. A hypothesis, a theory, and a law are not better than one another; they are different functions that serve different purposes. They exist in a cyclical relationship.
Why does this make a difference? We are asked to make a lot of important decisions as part of a democratic society that touch on numerous parts of our lives, but all of them should be informed decisions involving critical thinking. For many issues, how one decides their position on these matters is based, in part, on their understanding of the role of science and an accurate understanding of how it operates. Due to the pandemic, society at large has been getting a crash course in how science works, but the clarity of the debate has been mixed.
So how does this relate to music? First off, as a GE course that is supposed to engage with critical thinking and cultural relevance, understanding a fundamental, widespread concept and term such as theory is necessary. That is why it is important to establish the previous definitions. Second, understanding how a scientific term like theory can apply to an art form can challenge us to have a more rigorous understanding of concepts surrounding art. For instance, how it functions in our society, how we value it (spend money!), how we define it, and what it can teach us about who we are.
