What music theory component 'took you to the next level"?

[Quencho092]

In the title. For me it was getting chord substitutions on lock, quartal voicings to dance around the fretboard, and finally becoming versatile with the melodic minor modes.

Another trick that has helped me 'auto-pilot' through tunes is simply strumming a chord from a song and playing that chord's scale from starting note to the top note, moving to the next one in time and repeating this to cement chord scale relationships to my finger memory.

It has taken some marinating to unlock these mysteries and get around to using them musically, but some good stuff is starting to pour out of my fingers finally.

 

[BlueSnMettle]

Re: What music theory component 'took you to the next level"?

Distortion, lots of it.

Peace,

Darrin

 

[Wattage]

Re: What music theory component 'took you to the next level"?

Forgetting most of what I learned helped, I am a Rocker thru and thru and I was overthinking it.

But if you want to get musical the study of counterpoint was pretty big in understanding the flow of things for me, I also enjoyed studying some of Tibor Serly's writings on harmony. Analyzing the movements of some Mozart pieces was really cool, sort of like looking in his brain.

 

[TwilightOdyssey]

Re: What music theory component 'took you to the next level"?

Technique aside, as the question is purely one of 'crunch', I would say the Augmented Fourth principle was probably the most pivotal piece of musical theory that I have learned to date. I still use it as a major component in my arranging and riff writing.

Next up would be modes.

Last one is Tetra chords.

 

[BlueSnMettle]

Re: What music theory component 'took you to the next level"?

I like distortion.

Peace,

Darrin

 

[Quencho092]

Re: What music theory component 'took you to the next level"?

A big thing I failed to mention, when I started learning jazz I had to change the way I 'plan' out a solo and considering that I need to outline chords as opposed to structuring solo runs on a single scale and doing what I pleased, I had to increase the resolution of my playing and adjust it down to 2 beat/4 beat chord sections.

That continues to be a battle, but it positively influences my rock playing and my ability to imagine chords in my head and outline them on the guitar. I'm still a terrible jazz player.

 

[Ninja Monkey]

Re: What music theory component 'took you to the next level"?

Chord substitutions, inversions, and the major scale. I am a simpleton. I keep telling myself that I'll learn the applications and fingerings of the different modes, but I never get around to actually studying and practicing such things.

 

[Petrovsk Mizinski]

Re: What music theory component 'took you to the next level"?

Modes of the major scale, easily.
Once you really learn them well, it just makes playing the guitar and knowing what you're doing so much easier.