What is music theory about?

Maybe you've heard the joke, "Q: How do you get a guitarist to turn down his amplifier?  A: Put a music stand in front of him." 

Some instrumentalists have a mostly undeserved reputation of being ignorant of music theory.  The phrase "music theory" strikes fear in the hearts of some students, boredom in the hearts of others, puzzlement, and complete apathy in others.  What on earth is it and why are some musicians and educators so passionately devoted to it--myself included?

Simply stated, music theory is the study of how music works.  Students and musicians who learn it are more independent and can be more creative and versatile with with their performances.  So what do people study when they study music theory?

My books (Introducing the Recorder and Music Theory, Exploring the Recorder and Music Theory, and Music Theory for Choral Singers) feature an organized and step-by-step approach to theory that my hundreds of students have found to be approachable and conquerable.  They all use the same basic six-part organization that deepens over the course of the book:

• Notation: how to master and perform printed music

• Intervals: understanding how melodies move

• Scales: the organizing principle of the books, and the raw materials from which songs are made

• Harmony and texture: what happens when more than one note is combined

• Phrase and Form: how is music organized and how understanding this can make it easier to learn

• Rhythm and Meter: the duration of individual notes and how beats group together

The easiest way to learn music theory is in the context of performance.  So the books present the theory ideas in actual songs, for the recorder or for the voice.  When we hear how music sounds, music theory makes more sense.  It actually can be fun!