Learning Music Theory as an Adult
Learning music theory as an adult has been interesting for me, mostly because I wasn’t starting from zero.
As a kid, I played the clarinet all through elementary school and into the beginning of middle school and I was pretty good at it. I could read sheet music well, and I even composed simple scores of my own. Nothing crazy, but meaningful for my age. That foundation stuck with me more than I realized.
What didn’t stick, however, were scales. I’m sure I learned them at the time, but when you’re young and focused on reading sheet music, you’re not really thinking about why music flows the way it does. You’re just playing what’s on the page.
From Reading Music to Making It
I didn’t get into music production until around 2018. That’s when I was introduced to the PO-33 from Teenage Engineering. Originally, I was drawn to the OP-1 after watching Red Means Recording’s videos, but the price completely spooked me and I went with something simple instead. Going with the PO-33 ended up being a blessing, I loved it, and the rest was history!
At that stage, I was making music mostly by feel. It was fun, but over time I started to hit a wall. I’d make something I liked, then have no idea how I did it or how to recreate that same feeling again. That frustration eventually became the motivation to learn more intentionally.
Taking Keys and Scales Seriously
When I got the OP-XY, I decided to slow down and actually learn keys and scales. I started paying attention to things like the circle of fifths, and suddenly a lot of concepts began to click. Music theory stopped feeling abstract and started feeling practical; like a tool instead of an obstacle.
The learning process has been a lot fun! I realized that I didn’t need to study for hours or treat it like school. Sometimes I’d just practice for 15 minutes while sitting on the couch, watching TV, with the OP-XY on my lap. I’d run through scales until they started to stick. No pressure, just repetition and having a good time
Why Theory Matters (At Least to Me)
For this album, everything is written in major scales, mostly A, C, D, F, and G. It’s an intentional choice because I wanted the music to feel uplifting, calm, and inspirational. Learning theory gave me the ability to make those choices consciously instead of by accident.
If you’re brand new to music, it’s okay to practice! It’s okay to be slow and take your time. Learning music theory isn’t about proving anything, it’s about understanding what you’re already drawn to and being able to return to it when you want! Once you know where you are, then you can start breaking the rules and experiment around.
I’m still learning, but creating music has made me more grounded and I love to please! You can check out a preview of my latest video from what I learned here:
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