As a middle school music teacher (though one who’s only been at it a couple of years) I can tell you that compensating for the instruments’ (and the players’) intonation is way down on my list of priorities. Yes, it is important, but not if they’re blowing into the wrong end of the instrument. At this point in most of their musical careers, they’re doing good to get most of the fingerings, rhythms, and dynamics right.:rolleyes:
Not this one. If they couldn’t read music, they weren’t complete musicians.
They might have been far better musicians than many of us, but that doesn’t mean they were complete.
Besides which, it’s apples and oranges:
Hendrix, the Beatles, Irving Berlin, Buddy Holly, were not classical musicians, so the skill-set they need is completely different from the skill set a classical composer needs.
Classically speaking, these people WERE illiterate, But just because one is illiterate doesn’t mean they can’t speak!! And in their fields, their illiteracy in western art music was not a liability.
ianzin, I’ve tried repeatedly to write a reply to your post, but I really have no idea what your gripe is:
Are you frustrated because Classical Theory is too unwieldy when used to describe other music forms? Are you upset because Classical Theory seems to complex, and that something else would be better for describing Classical music? Do you think classical is fine and good, but you’d like to see a theory that describes modern, non-classical music?
I keep qualifying my terminology in these posts, because I want to be specific about what I’m saying. Chemistry and Quantum Mechanics are both Sciences, but knowledge that is crucial in one is immaterial in the other. Also, knowledge of one does not necessarily give one any better understanding of the other.
So please qualify what types of music you’re referring to. What do you compose? what style do you play? I’m under the impression that you aren’t a classical musician or composer, in which case I wonder why you are concerned. Classical music/theory is not the be-all end-all for describing how music works. Classical Theory is a tool for understanding and describing Classical Music. Period.
Finally, it is not necessary to understand any theory in order to enjoy, or even perform at a basic level any particular style of music. So I really don’t get your comments about {a} theory’s complexity preventing people from enjoying music. I’d say that if someone’s appreciation has extended beyond passive listening or amateur playing, than the difficulties they encounter are to be expected. As one learns more, the complexity of what learns increases, not decreases. Otherwise, we’d all be geniuses and (say) Einstein would be the “slow kid” at the back of the class.