A great question was asked on Quora: “What is the major difference between the musicians who learn the music theory and the ones who have not learnt any of that but still are brilliant?”
I suspect that many out there are skeptical of music theory, or at least intimidated in a way similar to how many might feel when confronted with learning a new language.
I hear the same criticisms repeated all the time… some of which have merit, some of which do not. I’ve even addressed a few of them.
But what is the big difference? Do musicians really need theory? How about standard notation? Well, the real answer is, it depends.
