Will learning music theory stifle my creativity?

Today’s post is inspired by a viewer's questions about the relationship between music theory and creativity:

Is music theory a set of rules to follow? Will learning music theory stifle our creativity? How do you explain famous musicians who never learned music theory but still create great music?

I thought these were such great questions because they really get to the heart of what we’re doing as musicians. What are the rules for, if not to be followed? And what does it mean when someone doesn’t play by those rules, or even know the rules at all? And if someone doesn’t play by those rules, or even know the rules at all, and still create really popular music, it leads to the question of why we needed those rules at all!

I had a lot of fun exploring these deep, philosophical questions and I hope you enjoy this exploration as well. Thanks to viewer Jason for starting this conversation!

Let’s dive into these questions one by one.

Is music theory a set of rules to follow?

The idea that music theory is a set of rules that must be followed is probably one of the biggest and most unhelpful misconceptions in music. The idea suggests that any time someone breaks or simply doesn’t know the rules of music theory, that their work either won’t sound good or doesn’t count as quality music.

To me, music theory is a set of rules that governs music the same way that the rules of grammar govern the English language. There are a number of ways to learn how to speak English. Some people listen to it a lot and pick it up just by being immersed in it. Other people study the rules of grammar and punctuation until they can speak English comfortably themselves. Is either way right or wrong? No, it’s just that one uses a more formal system of recognizing the patterns of English, while the other relies on an intuitive, heard sense of learning.

The same thing happens with music theory. Some people can pick up on the rules of music theory more intuitively, while others need to study it more closely to understand what’s going on.

What’s really important to note about both these approaches to learning is that expression comes first, and the rules follow. What I mean by this is, music theory doesn’t dictate how music should sound any more than the rules of English dictate what can be spoken. While the rules of English do provide structure, they still allow for flexibility and creativity in how we use the language. Similarly, music theory is an overall system that describes when music sounds good, but within those rules there is flexibility for musicians to experiment and find new ways of sounding good. This happens all the time, as each generation of musicians innovate new ways of communicating musically by playing with the rules of music theory to create something new.

It’s essential to recognize that music theory, like language, evolves over time, and will continue to evolve in the future.

So, try not to think about music theory as a hard and fast set of rules. Instead, think of it as a phenomenon that emerged over many years and is still evolving. Music theory doesn’t describe how music should sound; it describes how music has been. Music theory only works in the past tense, and that’s why there must always be flexibility in our understanding of it so that we can adapt and change the rules when needed.

Does learning music theory stifle creativity?

I’ll be honest — I believe learning music theory can stifle creativity, but it’s not the music theory itself that stifles creativity; it’s our mindset and what we believe about how we should use music theory.

I believe that we have a choice in how we utilize the knowledge of music theory. If we see it as a set of rigid rules that must be followed, we might end up applying past prescriptions to our music, restricting our creativity, and creating a musical prison for ourselves. However, if we see music theory as a system that describes what has sounded pleasant in the past and use it as a guide or frame of reference for how people might respond to our music in the future, it opens up more flexibility for experimentation and creativity. This second approach is the one that I try to take. Being creative means learning from the past, while also pushing the envelope, trying new things, and seeing what works. Writing music is more fun this way!

How do some musicians create great music without knowing music theory?

Let’s be really careful that we don’t conflate not having formal instruction in music theory with not knowing music theory. Like I said earlier, you can absorb principles of music theory just be being exposed to it.

This is what I think may have happened with our viewer’s example of Sting. Sting is an incredibly talented and prolific writer who is said to not have had any formal musical training. Now I can believe that someone like Sting may not have formally learned music theory, but I don’t believe he doesn’t know music theory at all. I think he has just absorbed it intuitively, as discussed above.

Musicians who play by ear often have a deep understanding of music theory without formally studying it. They may not know the theoretical reasons behind their choices, but they understand what works together musically. For example, if Sting wanted to write a song in D major, he might not need to calculate individual notes and chords every time. He likely knows that certain chords like G major, A major, and B minor work well with D major, even if he can't explain why from a theoretical standpoint.

If you enjoy listening to music and feel you have a “felt” sense of what works in music, you likely have an intuitive understanding of music theory, too!

Wrap-up

I hope this helps to assure you that music theory is not a rigid set of rules you must learn, but is a dynamic system built by centuries of passionate musicians meant to describe what has worked in music historically. It can enhance your creativity when used as a guide rather than a strict rulebook. Musicians like Sting (and possibly yourself!) may not have formally studied music theory, but they often have an intuitive understanding of it through experience. Music theory evolves just like language, and it's important to embrace its flexibility for creativity.

Thanks again to the original commenter for asking these questions. I invite you to leave any comments or questions on the original video by clicking the YouTube link above.

Take care!