Just a question about guitar theory.

gvsu_guitarfreak · Unread post by **gvsu_guitarfreak** » Mon Apr 07, 2003 8:57 pm

I've been a big dave fan for about 2-3 years now and was wondering if anyone knew if he knows his music theory really good or just thinks up the chords he uses in his head. It may sound kinda stupid but i was just curious if guitar theory is really that important.

ericwormann · Unread post by **ericwormann** » Mon Apr 07, 2003 9:23 pm

dmfollower · Unread post by **dmfollower** » Tue Apr 08, 2003 4:00 am

ok, i'm going out on a limb here but i don't think dave knows too much about music theory. he has an amazing array of chords and notes that he uses quite a bit. i don't know much about theory either but, i know that dave hasn't really advanced in his guitar knowledge, i mean playing since crash.....i think. his music has gotten really good(lyric why's) but i don't think that his new stuff has surpassed his old stuff. i'm not talkin' shit, cause i think dave is the shit but i've never judged his music by way of theory or "quote un quote" correct'ness, i've just alway believed that dave was extremely creative and lyrically talated. guitar-why's, i really only know how to play dave. except for some led zepplin, smashing pumpkins, counting crows and radiohead i'm spent on dave matthews band, i love and listen to them all day long.....yeah, i'm done now(drunk)

two steps too many · Unread post by **two steps too many** » Tue Apr 08, 2003 5:15 am

my opinion is that he knows quite a bit, it shows in how he changes key's in a song, transitions from one song to another (bartender-DDTW), and how he knows how to jam. Jammin with other musicians without knowing what goes with what and how it sounds is very difficult. Since he spent alot of time alone, i'm sure he learned as much as he could. To be able to come up with what he came up with, he would have to know the basics inside out, so that he can experiment from there. but then he could just be a music god where he know's nothing and his hands and mouth just do it for him 8)

firedancer86 · Unread post by **firedancer86** » Tue Apr 08, 2003 7:20 am

It is my understanding that he knows minimal "music" theory, but has collected a vast knowledge of "guitar" theory over the years of playing; in no comparrison to skills, I have likewise collected "guitar" theory over the years. Again, let me specify what the difference between music and guitar theory is: music theory - sheet music, technical theory etc. / guitar theory: i believe is just getting to know enough and drawling parallels and by so collecting "theory".

grock · Unread post by **grock** » Tue Apr 08, 2003 8:57 am

I read an interveiw once where Dave was saying he picked up a guitar and just banged on it a bunch and kinda invented his own way to play. he is african and they play alot of drums over there so thats how he approached the guitar. i mean his rhythm is what drives his songs. He had already been messing around with a guitar before someone even showed him how to play open chords. Dave doesn't really solo or have any need for anything other than basic knowledge of what chords go together.

in all honesty i don't think Dave would be even half as good if he didn't have the rest of his band. He's said before that Carter is the one who puts all of his riffs together and helps organize them for songs. and all his playing with Tim before. there are pictures of tim reynolds doing those Captain or #41 chords from back in the 70's. so he learned alot of chords and style from watching Tim when he was just a bartender in virginia.

So i think Dave was smart when he surrounded himself with a bunch of guys who really do know theory and really do know how to rock out. it makes his limited musical vocabulary that much better. actually it makes his playing awesome.

grock · Unread post by **grock** » Tue Apr 08, 2003 9:09 am

sorry! double posted it

Pickles · Unread post by **Pickles** » Tue Apr 08, 2003 9:38 am

im not guessing anyone would be interested in teaching me music theory?

KevinGTArch · Unread post by **KevinGTArch** » Tue Apr 08, 2003 9:56 am

in all honesty i don't think Dave would be even half as good if he didn't have the rest of his band

Don't get me wrong - I'm a big proponent of Dave with the band but ever listen to a D&T show or even a Dave solo show? The man can stand on his own two feet.

Corona5k1635 · Unread post by **Corona5k1635** » Tue Apr 08, 2003 1:20 pm

I think everyone who has said that Dave's knows quite a bit of music thoery is correct. I am a music minor and theory IS very cool and amazing but is definitely NOT extremely difficult. You don't have to be Dave Matthews to master it, so that just shows that Dave Matthews doesn't have to be Paul Simon to understand it either.

anyway i don't know why i went into all that cause my main point is that Dave started off playing piano. No better way to learn chord constructions and theory than that.

peace
out

dave :wink:

grock · Unread post by **grock** » Tue Apr 08, 2003 1:35 pm

oh yeah. i am saying he is good. like james taylor or cat stevens even. he is very good. but i don't think many people would be into Dave Matthews Band if it was him and some studio musicians. i think carter and stephan are much better musicians than Dave. Dave is like cement. it's good and holds it's own but if you mix a little sand and gravel (the Band and/or Tim) in there you get concrete which is like 100 times stronger.

i saw Dave at purdue and he rocked. (but i did catch him screwing up the chorus to Cry Freedom at one point. he was holding back laughter for the rest of the song and tim gave him a pretty funny look. he was totally surprised that he had done that. but it was late in the set)

anyways, STJL and IBYU is all dave and i don't know if his music would have got much better than that if he didn't have the rest of the band and Tim by his side. Both songs are pretty darn amazing but i wonder if he would have progressed to where he is now and i wonder if he would have even written those songs if he hadn't been hanging around Tim, Carter and the other guys. (a little davespeak from purdue "busted stuff gathers no moss, leaves a trail of busted stuff...man that is soooo good")

i know for the first 3 albums that most of the guitar playing is actually Tim playing the rhythm and then overdubbing the fills and Dave's guitar is turned real low.

he is the songwriter, the brains behind the band but without the band he would be just dave matthews and not many people outside of virginia would have ever heard of him. like how big of a following did james taylor or cat stevens have. nothing like the one Dave has. (selling out arenas 3 nights in a row and $2000 for tickets to a show that hasn't even sold out yet, i mean c'mon!!)

working with the other guys has brought it to a place where we all know him simply as Dave.

gregplaysguitar · Unread post by **gregplaysguitar** » Tue Apr 08, 2003 1:49 pm

two steps too many wrote:my opinion is that he knows quite a bit, it shows in how he changes key's in a song, transitions from one song to another (bartender-DDTW), and how he knows how to jam. Jammin with other musicians without knowing what goes with what and how it sounds is very difficult. Since he spent alot of time alone, i'm sure he learned as much as he could. To be able to come up with what he came up with, he would have to know the basics inside out, so that he can experiment from there. but then he could just be a music god where he know's nothing and his hands and mouth just do it for him 8)

Well, although his chord voicings are unique and original, dave rarely ever ventures out of the realm of major and minor chords. All his riffs are predominantly based on major and minor chord forms. Until everyday, (a little on BTCS) his time signatures weren't all that complicated either. He rarely uses diminished, augmented, secondary function, or barrowed chords. He does modulate in a few songs, but not a huge amount, and when he does it usually to the relative minor or major, which isn't that extreme of a modulation because your still playing the same notes, just starting at a new place.

NOw that i've spewed all this info about how simple dave is, I'de like to throw in the fact that he is going to be remembered as one of the best song writers of our time. He's got an incredible ear for melody, and lyricly he can't really be beat by anyone out of this historical time period.

Jay · Unread post by **Jay** » Tue Apr 08, 2003 8:10 pm

gregplaysguitar wrote: and lyricly he can't really be beat by anyone out of this historical time period.

that's kindof a stretch...

Pickles · Unread post by **Pickles** » Tue Apr 08, 2003 8:10 pm

i like his lyrics the best out of everyone ive ever heard too

mbgreen · Unread post by **mbgreen** » Tue Apr 08, 2003 8:35 pm

Jay wrote:
gregplaysguitar wrote: and lyricly he can't really be beat by anyone out of this historical time period.
that's kindof a stretch...

I wouldnt say its a stretch if this time period he's talking about is limited to the 90's and beyond. If the time period includes the the 60's on, then yeah, it's debatable. Even then I still love the lyrics to his music in comparison with songs of the last 40 years. If there has been a better lyricist in the last decade, I sure as hell cant think of one.

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Just a question about guitar theory.

Just a question about guitar theory.

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