mwalker wrote: if you just want drums and samples this is a TOTAL waste of time.
I think sensewondah was refering to your last sentance in that paragraph. And he is right, if you combine both music theory and and sampling you can get a NASTY combination. Just because you make beats with samples, does not mean you are not incorporating music theory. Part of matching two samples is knowing that they have to be in the same key to mesh well-and that is essentially what music theory is(knowing what notes go together, and in what arrangement works best for what you want to accomplish).
Even though dr.dre and j.d. use alot of music theory in their music, they still sample. I think thier ear for good production comes from thier sampling roots.
If it makes you bounce, its good, whether it was well planned, an accident, or played by a professional keyboardist. I think in the end, knowing sampling and music thoery will just make you better whether you actually play keys or not.