Music theory can only help broaden one's creativity. You can learn it and use it, or learn it and then rebel against what you've learned. Or you can stay ignorant of it and draw on the wellspring of one's own creativity. Or maybe something in-between (no one has to achieve a doctorate in music theory to be a composer or songwriter). But regardless of how schooled you are in this stuff or not, none of it guarantees that any of your music will be worth listening to.

I cannot find the Fretmentor article about the Nashville notation system on the Fretmentor website. Help! & Thank you!

Go to:

Classroom

Then go to:

Fretmentor teaches music theory

Click article on Nashville numbering system

Fm

Amen, LauraArnold!!

While I tend to be in either the right side of the aisle, so to speak, on this matter, or in the middle, I have really started to appreciated all of those theory exercises that my teacher made me when I was little.

I've also started to realize how much growing I still have to do, especially since my brother plays blues guitar. He'll be playing different licks, and improving and even venturing into jazz, and I'll just smile and go "U-huh" when he tries to explain it to me. After a couple of times I'll get it, usually, but when he tried to explain Pat Martino's way of explaining musice theory, I just kind of got that glazed look, ya know, like little kids get when they're looking up at a giant skyscarper, or when someone's listening to you, but you can tell that none of it is sinking in.

I've managed to write 2 1/2 tunes thus far, (both hymns, pretty straight forward) just by imagination. I guess I never was one to do things the conventional way.