I would think of it more like: if you want to learn to play the piano, you'll need to sit down, learn some music theory and practice scales. This advice isn't

I would think of it more like: if you want to learn to play the piano, you'll need to sit down, learn some music theory and practice scales. This advice isn't necessarily the only way to go especially if you're happy just tapping out Chopsticks, but as a general rule ... it's a proven path. Same applies for electronic music: you need some understanding of theory, terminology and available tools, else you just end up twiddling knobs and creating "cool" effects.