Books and resources to level up your theory knowledge!
I recommend that all my students learn music theory alongside their practical lessons in order to gain a holistic understanding of their instrument and fully understand how to read music and how and why the music is written in the way it is. Although some theory is covered in lessons, theory exercises need to be studied and completed alongside lessons in order for students to get a deep enough understanding of theory.
For students working towards ABRSM grades, theory is essential as students are required to sit grade 5 ABRSM Music theory exam in order to move onto piano grades 6-8 which are the grades that score UCAS points.
Grade 5 theory can be challenging and especially if the student puts off studying music theory till grade 5. So here are some books and resources that I recommend to start off with:
Music Theory For Young Musicians are brilliant books for the younger students with plenty of exercises to complete, they are so clearly laid out and simple to follow that many of my adult learners have used them and found them great so don’t be put off that they are aimed at the younger student! They have books from Grades 1-5 and compliment the practical playing grades and help prepare students for the Grade 5 theory exam. I recommend students purchase and work their way through these 5 book:
Other good books include, Help Your Kids with Music: A Unique Step-by-Step Visual Guide or for adults the First Steps in Music Theory: Grades 1-5 which is a small, concise guide spanning grades 1-5 but unlike the Music Theory for Young Musicians, these books do not contain exercises for the student to complete and are arguably not as engaging.
Good apps to compliment learning using the books above are:
The ABRSM Theory Works app which uses over 6,000 specially-written questions designed to test and challenge your music theory knowledge, grade by grade. You start by learning the basics then test yourself and see if you can get a perfect score before moving onto the next level.
The Tenuto app is great for the testing of intervals on the stave, identifying intervals on the keyboard, testing key signatures and identifying chords and scales as well as including aural tests. To see what else is included in this app, follow this link to the full list of exercises.
Finally, Youtube has plenty of great playlists and contributors to subscribe to and is a great place to go if you are stuck and need someone to explain something in a new way. I do hope these resources help you to achieve a deeper understanding of music theory, and in turn help to level your piano playing!
Lx