Learning to play music requires a lot of different lessons to get it right. However, music theory is one aspect of learning music that is sometimes overlooked. Some consider it too difficult, complicated, or unnecessary for the casual player.

So, what is music theory?

In a nutshell, music theory is the understanding of written music. It gives musicians and composers a common language to communicate in, even if they’re from entirely different backgrounds or places in time. But does that mean you must study it to play or write music today? In a word, no. But it does have distinct advantages; music students who understand music theory can read a page of music written by a composer hundreds of years ago and know exactly what, when, and how that composer wanted them to play. It grants powerful insights into the language of music.

For new students, music theory is about the music written on the page and how to understand it. That might include knowledge of notes, what scales, keys, and accidentals. Music theory also helps musicians know how to play written music. Composers use special symbols to let the musician know to play loud, soft, fast, or slow, or even to drag out their notes or cut them off short.

That makes music theory a powerful tool for the novice musician. It provides an understanding of what’s happening on the page, as well as giving students a solid foundation on which to grow continuously.

Let’s examine the top 9 reasons you should study music theory, even if you don’t have to.

9 Reasons to Study Music Theory

1. Understand How Music Works

No matter what level of music you eventually end up in, music theory offers a more advanced understanding and insight into how musical notes and rhythms fit together in a composition. Once you understand this relationship, you’ll enjoy a more profound comprehension of a subject everyone loves but most people find utterly mysterious. Even the most basic music theory program can provide a foundation for insight into how and why great composers and performers do what they do.

2. Listen More Critically

Of course, everybody can listen to music. But not everyone can listen with a trained, critical ear. Most people like or dislike what they hear but don’t know why they have those feelings. Music theory can help you listen critically for nuances, like major and minor scales. Listening critically also allows you to recognize and learn from what the artist has done.

3. Write & Perform Accurately

Having the basics of music theory under your belt will help you with both writing and performing music. The second part is obvious; if you can understand all the symbols on the sheet, you can faithfully reproduce what the composer wanted. That first part, however, writing music, is much more interesting. Learning to write music in the styles of the greats is a fantastic way to internalize often confusing concepts like harmony, voice leading, counterpoint, phrase structure, and details of music.

4. Improve Sight Reading Skills

Sight reading, while not a universal skill among Western musicians, is important because Western music tends to come from a written tradition. Even if you have no desire to be a professional performer, reading music accurately and easily is a skill every musician can use.

5. Understand the Styles and Genres of Western Music

Music is a storied and fascinating history of the evolution and styles of the cultures that create it. It tells us what life was like when the music was written; what was happening in society; how people felt about it. For example, music theory can show how opera grew with the newly emerging middle class or how jazz musicians of the ’20s expressed their feelings about being marginalized in an intolerant society. Connecting music with real-life human events gives the styles and genres more weight and meaning.

6. Exposure to Unfamiliar Music

Studying music theory also opens you up to hearing music you’ve never listened to, allowing you to practice unbiased listening. Listening to a sample of early music or music from a wildly different culture can open up discussions about the nature of music and how music might operate outside what we might think of as its boundaries here in the West. Then think about applying these differences to your songwriting!

7. Become Familiar with the Masterworks of Western Music

A main focus of music theory is to show why the rules and procedures are so important and how they come together to produce compelling music. A good music theory class doesn’t limit itself to the classics that have lasted centuries, like Bach, Beethoven, and Mozart; for a full education, a class must include the Beatles, Rolling Stones, and Billy Joel. Masterworks from every century and style help provide a broader understanding of music theory.

8. Improve Critical Reasoning Skills

Although not specific to music theory, critical reasoning skills are essential to develop and are honed through an education in music theory. While many beginner music classes are based largely on a “monkey see, monkey do” style of learning, music theory provides students with a way to understand the why of what they are doing, not just that it is the correct thing to do.

9. Build a Foundation

When you add up all the eight reasons that came before this one, you end up with a well-rounded musical foundation on which you can continue to grow and progress with your musical education. Even if you’ve never considered learning a new instrument or writing your own music, music theory can be a key component in starting off on your musical journey.

Want to start your own journey into music theory? Sign up for Music Theory Lessons with The Music Studio today!