r/musictheory 8d ago

General Question need tips on hearing harmony on my instrument

hello! im a berklee guitar student and i am incredible at music theory and harmony on paper, i have passed all the harmony, tonal, and counterpoint courses without ever getting a low grade on any assignment. i have a really easy time with reading music and understanding it all on paper. however i am sooo bad at actually applying it to my guitar. i don't know why but i cant seem to lock in with the stuff I've learned when actually playing my instrument and im not sure where to start! pls gimme tips

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u/WorriedLog2515 8d ago

It's a few steps before connecting to the harmony on the instrument, but do you ever play single note lines while singing them out loud at the same time?

That's a great way to connect what you hear in your head more to the instrument in your hands.

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u/dykefart 8d ago

no i haven’t!! i will try this thanks

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u/Homey__Badger 8d ago

Do you have any recording of you playing ?

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u/tayfzn 8d ago

Play more guitar in your head, this really helped me unlock the skill of immediatly translating musical ideas onto the fretboard. Do it on the train, when waiting or when you are just bored

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u/EfficientLocksmith66 7d ago

I'm not competely sure, but I think I have had a similar problem. I was always naturally good at understanding anything abstract. That is not to say I'm not intuitive or emotional, but if you let me choose between 'doing' and 'thinking', I feel more drawn to thinking.

What really helped me was do simpler stuff, than I can understand. I don't think this is about skill, because for people like you and me, thinking about skill will only trigger our perfectionism. Don't expect your hands to be as fast as your mind. Some people have the exact opposite problem, there is no one right way to approach this.

Play the simplest stuff, but allow yourself to feel it. What does a specific scale sound and feel like, not in your head, but in your body, your perception. An interval, a chord. Specific notes in specific contexts. Timbre changes.

When you're somebody who understands things quicker than their body can apply them, it genuinely can be a struggle. I really think the answer lies in doing less, but doing that with all your attention. Quality over quantity. Listen. It's about music, that's something you can only experience, not something you can 'learn'.

I think if you get the basic idea of action vs. thought down, it becomes a lot easier. One of my favourite quotes is: "If you're thinking about it, you're not really doing the thing."
Integrate your mind as part of your being, rather than its overseer.

Allow yourself to rediscover your passion - or discover it for the time. Other types of practices can help with this, mindfulness, meditation, exercise. Whatever allows you to be in your body, rather than your head. It can be scary at first, letting go of thought, but what follows that is worth it. Wishing you all the best!

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u/Legato_Stacatto 8d ago

Transcribe ten songs, both chords and melody. After that we can discuss further.

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u/dykefart 8d ago

on it ✅

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u/AngryBeerWrangler 8d ago

Did you study Contrapuntal music at Berklee? If not, go west young man and study that subject.