I think the problem with theory is that those of us who learnt it when we were very young found it VERY dull, not scary, just boring...... we wanted to play the music not learn all those fancy italian words. I went as far as grades allowed with theory.. not because I wanted to , but because it was necessary in order to do the practical music exams. It was dull at the time... but I am so glad I did it.. it helps all the time, especially with playing by ear. I remember thinking at the time.. why do I need to know the rules of writing 4 part harmony? I'm never going to write for a choir.. maybe not.. but it comes in handy writing arrangements for the different instruments in a band. Maybe it would have been more interesting to learn as an adult....... maybe we just need teachers who can make it more interesting. you don't need to know absolutely everything about theory... but certainly a grasp of the basics is a bonus if you want to play with others.

slainte

alison