Music Theory

[joergkutter]

@Vik

And, yes, there are plenty of musicians who know very little theory, but are absolutely brilliant.

Point in case from a long time ago (and possibly a galaxy far away) when we were discussing an interview with Duff McKagan. His musicality is certainly undeniable and he is very likely not bothered in the least about not knowing “stuff”:

@JoshFossgreen

Haha very funny thing in there:

“Learn from someone like John Paul Jones for dexterity, something like Immigrant Song, which he actually plays with a pick. Do those weird major runs with a minor seven during the build-up and learn how to play them fast.”

“weird major runs with a minor seven”… that’s a mixolydian scale, Duff! (those runs are at 0:44 on the studio track)

Is it still weird after being commonly used for (at least) hundreds of years? And it’s in, like, every blues tune ever?

So, Duff just “knows” how to play certain things and is not too concerned with what things are called; he doesn’t need to, he still makes great music. But, if you turn it around, for me it was one of those eureka moments to realize how the blues scale and the mixolydian scale are related! Some, like me, find that cool (because it hints at underlying principles and some connecting logic), while others are more like “meh”…

(And just to make clear: I don’t mean to be condescending or to ridicule people who don’t know theory; and we all know that @JoshFossgreen for sure isn’t either).