I guess everyone has a different way of using information as tools to play music. I do not know a lot about theory and I don't think about it much when I play, but it has taken many years of understanding the qualities of the kind of music I play to be able to play banjo with feeling. Not understanding thoery gets me in trouble sometimes when I play with other musicians (like Rick)- usually in the chroding department. I first used tabulature to get my technique happening and then I gave away all my tab books after realising that they were all someone elses ideas of how to play the tunes - much of which I disliked. So - I am an ear and gut player. I am sure many other good banjo players Kyle Creed, Fred Cockerham etc. don't /didn't think about theory much - they lived/live the banjo and the music.