Music Theory vs Chord VST

Chords, scales, harmony, melody, etc.
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Im just getting into learning music theory but I have a delema. I have come across a ton of VSTs that produce chords for you and I have a question. When applications like these become more popular what will this mean for those that want to learn/use music theory the old fashion way? Should I spend double or even tripple the time sitting learning music theory or should i resort to these chord generators and learn music theory by generating the chords that sound nice to me? I kind of feel like thats cheating :scared:

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you're right in that you have all the tools available to compose music of a certain complexity with minimal effort and learning, and that it can yield good results just going by ear. if you're not naturally curious about the mathematics behind it, no need to force it and bore yourself.
what you call the old fashioned way however is still as relevant as ever, everything is built upon it, and the more theory you know, the better you can use even the most beginner-friendly music software.

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Hmmm I understand. So I guess I can get maybe the best of both worlds. Create music with genortaors but also spend some time learning theory in order to better understand what I'm making so I can make better decisions. Thanx for the reply!

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I use Ez keys a lot and find it fantastic to get "automatic" composition done quickly. Then I can go in and tweak as desired. I also use it to enter my own chord progressions and use the midi patterns to create performances.

So yeah, best of both worlds if you know your theory.
My Soundcloud Too many pieces of music finish far too long after the end. - Stravinsky

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If you don't want spend time looking for right chords or want add your composition mood as you wish, learn theory.

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If you want the real joy of musical thought that's your own and not needing someone's who 'knows better', the choice is clear.

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@Oberheim8000 I would think that the time spent learnng music theory would surpass the amount of time it would take to listen to random chords and find something that works. Esspecially when dealing with a particualr genere that deals with very similar chord progressions in eah song.

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And the notion of time saved once you know never occurs to you, eh? Of course if the music you want to make is totally out of a cookie cutter, why not.

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Why learn music theory when a program can do it for you? Why learn a foreign language when you have Google Translate? Why learn mathematics when you have a calculator?

The journey should be it’s own reward. I’m also always dubious when people talk about the tools allowing them to make music faster. It’s as if making music is some unpleasant task which they want to race through as fast as possible and get it over with.

Now, that being said, I actually love these kinds of tools. I understand music theory to an intermediate level. Not to the extent of some members posting here *cough jancivil cough* but well enough to accomplish whatever I want. I just enjoy interacting with generative tools. It’s like collaborating with someone else, being inspired by their ideas and coming up with my own in response. I also think that tools which generate pleasing chord progressions can be an excellent teaching tool, if you have an inquisitive mind and want to figure out why you like the results it produces.

On the other hand, if you just want a big red Easy button, that’s your prerogative too.
Incomplete list of my gear: 1/8" audio input jack.

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I think this debate is just, honestly, one of the dumbest in music history. The midi hack plugins/music theory plugins actually teach you music theory as you use them. You need to know atleast some theory to use them like what a key and scale is. You'll learn music theory faster using these plugins. So the opposite is actually becoming true in that there are becoming more people who know music theory then ever before.

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My theory got better using Rapid Composer. It forces me to learn theory jargon and to explore modes and relations between chords.
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I agree that if you have teh inquisitive mind you can interrogate a tool's result, but if you're avoiding learning by it...

There's no big maths behind it. You can't build a rocket with it. :P

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beauty and history happens when you start breaking the rules
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jancivil wrote: Tue Feb 05, 2019 9:06 am I agree that if you have teh inquisitive mind you can interrogate a tool's result, but if you're avoiding learning by it...

There's no big maths behind it. You can't build a rocket with it. :P
“Music is math” is another common refrain, as if you need to know advanced calculus or something. Ratios. Fractions. That’s about as complex as it gets.
Incomplete list of my gear: 1/8" audio input jack.

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flowsnice wrote: Mon Feb 04, 2019 10:51 pm Im just getting into learning music theory but I have a delema. I have come across a ton of VSTs that produce chords for you and I have a question. When applications like these become more popular what will this mean for those that want to learn/use music theory the old fashion way?
absolutely nothing :)
look at music in general, just because most of the music on the radio these days is unlistenable shite, doesn't mean all music is.
so you will get the auto generated stuff (stock aitken and waterman) and you will alongside that, get musicians who know their shit (rage against the machine).

doesn't have to be a contest (unless you want an xmas number one saw vs ratm)
and why you care what other people use if you enjoy using theory i honestly don't understand? do what makes you happy if its not hurting anyone :tu:
Should I spend double or even tripple the time sitting learning music theory or should i resort to these chord generators and learn music theory by generating the chords that sound nice to me?
why not learn the theory, and use these chord machines, to help you create progressions with what you learn from books :)
i don't know if you also intend learning to play or can play a keyboard. if so, then id use the chord machines to build a progression i could then either practice the chords for or improvise melodies along with the chords.
they can be tools, rather than crutches :)

I kind of feel like thats cheating :scared:
in that case, don't do it.
you gotta be able to sleep at night :hihi:

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