Tip : Trust your ears (not just music theory)

Remember that music theory is like the “grammar” of the language of music: a set of good guidelines to start from, not a fixed equation you simply plug numbers into.

The greats make their mark by moving in and out of the rules’ parameters. Learn the theory—but then trust your ears to tell you how much you can bend or break the rules.

No matter how good you get, it should always be a process of experimentation, not a formula to repeat!