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Originally Posted by Spritebox
My goal is to eventually know enough theory so that I can incorporate it into the Live! DJ'ing program in order to make better music. Any sort of help or link would be appreciated.
Thanks!
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What does that mean? "Live! DJ'ing"? Music Theory is a broad topic, and the people learning it can generally be broken into two camps:
1. Classical musicians/composers who want to become better musicians/composers. These guys learn classical theory, which involves a lot of talk about voicings and progressions and musical lines. Musicians learn how to logically think about music, making memorization of pieces easier. Composers learn how what ingredient combinations work well together, and are free to use that knowledge in their classical compositions.
2. Jazz/Rock musicians/composers who want to become better musicians/composers. These guys learn jazz/rock theory, which focuses strongly on the ability to interpret fake books and improvise (therefore, a lot more scales/chord training than in classical theory). Musicians learn what can be substituted where, what licks sound good over what chords. Composers learn what chords/notes are available to them, but unlike classical composers, these guys don't have to worry so much about writing out every single note for every single part of a song--they can depend on the musicians to handle part of the responsibility.
Where do you fall into this? If 'djing' means recording your own tracks, a la DJ Shadow, improvising is probably not what you need--classical theory may do fine for you. If 'djing' means stringing songs together into a necklace for a club, I'm not sure you need any theory--just some musical sensibility and an ability to recognise the tempo/key of a song. If 'djing' means playing around with a couple of turntables, or providing lyrics over a dub, your time may be better spent learning to play drums, since rhythm is what you need to worry about more than anything.