Stephanie Claussen
Stephanie Claussen is a professional freelance harpist in St. Paul, Minn.

What’s worse than getting lost in a dark forest at night? The consensus among harpists seems to be that learning music theory is worse than getting lost in any number of dark forests.

I took six semesters of music theory in college and I struggled. My impression is that I’m not alone—most people struggle with music theory. My comprehension of chords, key signatures, and harmonic progressions developed slowly, and I received partial credit on enough homework assignments to make me seriously question my abilities. Only now, half a dozen years later, can I see why my music school required those classes; as a professional harpist I use those music theory skills every day.

back to the beginning

I absorbed the music theory basics—notes, rhythms, dynamics, and key signatures—in harp lessons and grasped enough from  an early age to read music perfectly well. Playing a piece felt like following a clearly marked path through the woods. When I stayed on the path, I reached my destination without difficulty, but also without any idea of where I was in relation to the rest of the woods. At the end of the day, I had to trust the path to take me back home. Once I began to understand the bigger concepts of chords and harmonic progressions, I felt like someone had handed me a map of the woods. Suddenly I knew all the short cuts. I could leave the path and not get lost, and I knew how to add an extra loop to my journey if I so desired.

Once I began to understand the bigger concepts of chords and harmonic progressions, I felt like someone had handed me a map of the woods.

my theory tool belt

If the skills you learn in theory class are tools you keep in your belt to navigate music, then my hammer and screw driver—my two most useful tools—would be quick chord identification and the tonic-predominant-dominant road map, otherwise known as “I-IV-V” or “the three chords upon which all of Western music is based.” I learned more complex theory skills as well, but I use those about as often as the 3/16-inch Allen wrench.

developing my tools

Using these tools today feels almost like second nature, but it wasn’t always that way. During my freshman year in college, I spent hours labeling chords for homework assignments. I sat on my floor mumbling, “An A, an F, and a D—that’s a D chord. Wait, the F is sharp, so that makes it a D major chord.” Hours upon hours of this taught me how to mentally rearrange the notes of any chord into a basic triad. My theory courses may have felt like boot camp, but my brain is now trained to identify patterns. I hadn’t realized how useful that ability was until I began teaching harp. In lessons, I watch while my students read individual notes of an arpeggio that, when I glance at it, simply screams “C chord.” These days, I write in the chord names above the staff on almost all my music and circle them so they don’t look like pedal markings. It saves me time when I’m learning a piece, and can save a performance if I get distracted.

the well-worn path

In understanding the typical path of musical phrases from the tonic through the predominant to the dominant before returning to tonic (or “home”), I unlocked so many shortcuts. It’s a starting point when I’m harmonizing melodies. At a jam session, it narrows the chord options to try with a particular Celtic tune. When I’m memorizing a piece, I can remember a harmonic pattern rather than the actual chord names. It’s also handy if I (shiver) ever have to transpose on the fly.

Is it too late?

Music theory really is a friend, not a foe, despite what it may feel like at first. If you aren’t forced to cozy up with music theory through a college curriculum, you can get friendly with theory. I’m a firm believer that everything is easier with a teacher, so if you have the time and money, I recommend taking a theory course. If you are a super-ambitious self-starter, you can buy a theory textbook and work through it. But most theory DIY-ers will probably prefer to simply brush up on a few specific concepts. Here are some recommendations on what skills to tackle:

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For sight reading: know chord identification and the I-IV-V road map.

For music jams: know the key signatures.

For recovering from mistakes: know where the phrase ends so you can finish in the same place, rhythmically, that you would have if you hadn’t goofed.

For playing Celtic music: learn the modes, especially Dorian, Aeolian, and Mixolydian.

For playing from a lead sheet:  practice “seeing” the chords on the harp.

For playing jazz or pop from a fake book: learn which chords are major and minor in a key signature. (This is important because jazz rarely stays within the key signature!)

Some might argue that having a map takes all the mystery out of the journey. But I have found that being intimately familiar with the paths through a piece of music enables me to navigate it better and love it more. Take those maps and embark on a whole new set of adventures.

Stephanie Claussen is a professional freelance harpist in St. Paul, Minn.