Music theory is often seen as a gatekeeper, but I think skipping it genuinely holds back most self-taught musicians. I spent two years learning songs by ear and felt stuck, then a basic chord theory course unlocked how to write my own progressions overnight. Theory isn't about following rules; it's a vocabulary for describing what you already hear, and without it you're guessing instead of deciding. Sure, some artists break rules brilliantly, but those exceptions don't apply to the thousands of bedroom producers who just loop the same three chords.