I don't learn theory!! What should I do!?

[concerto_love]

I live in a town that pretty far away from the capital city (it takes about 2 hours too from my house to my school). Because of it, I can't learn piano very well, I only learn it from a not-too-good teacher (although she's really kind too me, I think she don't teach me very well).

I go the lesson once a week (30 minutes). And because my school is pretty far, I only can practice about 1 hour a day.

I don't learn theory too...  Especially chords. I only know about major and minor chords. I learn music history from school (a little), and I learn music theory a little from comics or my friend's book...

I wanna ask this... How I can learn theory, especially chords? I need some information source, so please tell me anything!! Also, I want to study in conservatory when I grow up... What should I do with the theory??


(sorry, bad grammar, thx!!) >.<

[Bob]

Get a theory book.  I don't really think there's much time during lessons to do much theory anyway.

If you're just starting the typical book series have a primer, extra piece book, and then a theory book.  Start with that.  After that, there are lots of intro to theory books out there.  A lot of that is just focusing on chords.  Theory covers everything, but scales, intervals, etc.  leading to chords is what a lot of books are geared toward.  Even then, the ideas are pretty simple.  It's that you have so many different ways to apply one chord that makes it appear more complicated.

Ask here for more ideas about theory books.

Study in a conversatory?  Hmm.... The more theory, the better.  Like any part of music.  Have you scales down well though.  Majors, then minors.  They way I learned intervals that really helped.  Hmmm... Major/minor scales...  Be able to spell/play major, minor, diminished, augmented, dominant sevenths.  That's a good start.  They go over everything in college, but... Are you really going to master all that in just a few months?  And do everything else you're supposed to do?  No.  So if you have it down better before you get in, that's great. 

[term]

You can also find everything on the internet.
Start out at the wikipedia article about scales, harmony, counterpoint (=correlation between harmony and melody), musical form and the like. These are a few selections.
follow the other links presented in the articles if you're interested. As to chords & nomenclature, have a look at this and the links presented there.

Now, the downside to this is that you have to be organised to learn freely & on your own. A book gives you a good and coherent guideline, so definitely get one. I don't know english books, sorry^^ But keep in mind that there's plenty of information on the internet, in any language.
The most important thing is, never learn theory for the sake of theory. If you can't apply it, its useless. Everything you learn, try it out at the piano, see how it works, how it sounds, and take it one step further.

[slobone]

And you'll never learn theory just by reading -- you have to work out some exercises on your own. There might be some place you could do that on the Internet, and I know there are a lot of books... Sorry I can't be more specific, but I learned by taking a class (which for some peculiar reason I ended up taking 3 times).

[danny elfboy]

Berkleey College of Music has online courses about everything and theory, harmony and composition too. You need a webcam and microphone and they're not even that expensive but you do get an official and valid certificate of graduation.

[keypeg]

Here is a good start:
http://musictheory.net/
Go through the lessons (not all of them) and then work through the exercises in the practice area.  It would be good to work practically on the theory via piano but I don't know where you would go for that.
This is also an excellent resource, but it is very detailed and wordy.
http://www.dolmetsch.com/theoryintro.htm

[gyzzzmo]

You could also ask your teacher to spend 1 or 2 lessons on the things you want to learn from theory.

[fermata_88]

Go to this site http://www.teoria.com/
just don't study theory but also Aural theory.