The Diminishing Discussion of Music Theory in Modern Conversations
Why don’t people nowadays discuss much about the melody, chords, harmony, or music theory of songs? Instead, they can only say things like, 'Gya Hung, you are a teen. Am I correct in assuming you are studying music in school? Your circle of friends includes many who study with you. Remember that your circle of friends is not the majority of people; they are the majority of people you know.'
It is largely because most people nowadays do not know enough about the building blocks of music to talk about those things. The same reason why I struggle to hold up my end of a conversation about cars. While I know that a Flex Capacitor improperly installed won’t have you traveling back to 1955, other than that, I don’t have much intelligent to say on the subject.
Conversations About Music and Arts
Unless you run in arts circles or you have a group of friends who regularly attend live music and hang out afterward in cafes, discussing melody, harmony, and music theory just isn’t a part of the conversation. Maybe on the drive home with your spouse if you both have an arts background, you might try to put into words your analysis of a performance, even if you’re talking more noise than substance. It is good for the mind and makes you a stronger, more discerning listener.
I recently attended the premiere of a trumpet concerto and ran into a group of old friends at intermission. One of the guys didn’t like it but couldn’t say anything beyond, ‘I dunno, I just didn’t like it.’ I kind of wish we’d have had a proper argument, nothing like fisticuffs but maybe a warm disagreement ending with one of us slapping the other with a glove. Pistols at dawn, that kind of thing. Maybe we just grew up in the wrong era, and I’d have been a serf anyway.
Music Theory and Enjoyment
Why people nowadays don’t discuss much the melody, chords, harmony, or music theory of songs? It is because understanding the construction of a song and music theory can enhance or detract from one’s enjoyment. However, understanding a song’s construction has never been a prerequisite for enjoyment. Truly enjoying music is all about how it impacts you emotionally and can impact you physically.
Taking into consideration, take, 'Great Gig In The Sky' by Pink Floyd. Just like with any other piece of music, not everyone will enjoy it, but to those of us who do, the music and vocals stir something deep inside us. They involve us and bring us into the song itself. Music is made to elicit emotions, not to have a specific set of knowledge to fully appreciate it. Discussing music theory may do that for you but means nothing to the majority of people.
Enjoying Music Without Understanding
As mentioned before, enjoying music does not require understanding the complex aspects of music theory. In fact, the majority of people don’t care about nor need to know music theory. They know what they like when it comes to music. Music is a combination of math and art, and it is enjoyed for its emotional and physical impact rather than its technical intricacies. Dive into the music with your headphones on, turn up the volume as loud as you can handle it without pain, and let the emotions flow.
Remember, whether you are discussing the nuances of music theory or simply enjoying a song’s melody or rhythm, music continues to be a source of joy and expression, making it a universal language that transcends understanding and technical analysis.
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