Something you hear often in the jazz community, especially from experienced pros is "everything you need to know about theory is in the songs".
It is usually in response to newcomers thinking they need to learn everything about every scale, every mode, every chord. They ask questions like "what scale should I play over this chord" or they get in really deep into some obscure theory thinking. I see it all the time with posts, even here on HN, where someone says "I figured out music!" and then you get some dry 1000 word essay on harmonic overtone series, and the maths of intervallic relationships.
But all of that intellectualization is replaceable and improved upon by learning a massive number of songs. Not just chord progressions, not just melodies in isolation, but beginning to end tunes. I was watching a live stream by industry veteran Jimmy Bruno and he was asked how many songs he knew and could play mostly from memory and he pondered for a minute and said "probably 2000".
It is usually in response to newcomers thinking they need to learn everything about every scale, every mode, every chord. They ask questions like "what scale should I play over this chord" or they get in really deep into some obscure theory thinking. I see it all the time with posts, even here on HN, where someone says "I figured out music!" and then you get some dry 1000 word essay on harmonic overtone series, and the maths of intervallic relationships.
But all of that intellectualization is replaceable and improved upon by learning a massive number of songs. Not just chord progressions, not just melodies in isolation, but beginning to end tunes. I was watching a live stream by industry veteran Jimmy Bruno and he was asked how many songs he knew and could play mostly from memory and he pondered for a minute and said "probably 2000".