Originally Posted By: David Snyder

Wow Dave. The forum can get harsh when people get all technical and stuff, huh?


David, I don't think that it is harsh. Actually we are all saying the same thing just in different ways. Remember the line in my first message, "BUT in music ALL rules can be broken".

Originally Posted By: David Snyder


Hey I have a question:

If you don't know your butt from your elbow, and you have absolutely no idea what you are doing or talking about, but you write a tune and people say:

"Dude, that song was frickin' amazing, where did you come up with that chord progression????"

Are you using the Circle of Fifths then?

Even if you have no idea what that means and can't read a note?

Did Paul McCartney know the Circle of Fifths or did he just jam his butt off????

These are questions that have plagued me for years and I was wondering if you had any insights, sir.


As Dave mentioned many songs change keys and/or modes withing the original key signature. This is important as the circle of fifths also changes along with them.

But you do not need to know theory or even read music to be a musician. It has been said that guitarist Wes Montgomery couldn't read music and didn't know theory. If this is true he did have one hell of an ear for music. A lot of the old blues guitarists couldn't read either and they put out some great music. The Beatles could not read music! Did that stop them from writing some of the best songs ever?

You play what your head, heart and ears tell you to play. Remember the same notes were under Beethoven's fingers that were under Monk's fingers.

I tell my students to learn theory but do not let it get into the way of your playing. Use it for practicing and for determining what you just played. The same goes for the circle of fifths/fourths. It is a tool to get back to the I chord but it is not the only way to get there. YMMV.

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