The importance of Music Theory

An inside-out approach

At Piano and Strings Tutors London we believe first and foremost that one-to-one instrumental tuition and practice of musical performance should be the main priority for students.

However, being fluent in reading and interpreting the score is of paramount importance, giving pupils the ability to develop fast note reading skills, a consideration of musical ideas and a deeper understanding of the composer’s wishes. In essence it is the key to learning new pieces of music quickly and efficiently.

The All-In-One-series

As music theory is so important (and often overlooked when studying an instrument) we include a book from the highly commended ALL-IN-ONE series in your welcome pack when you sign up for lessons.

The book will be appropriate for the standard of the individual student to the level of grade 5 music theory. Please read the below review on these books and why we have chosen the ALL-IN-ONE series in partnership with Piano and Strings Tutors London.

about the authur

The ALL-IN-ONE series is published by Aaron publications and written by one of our highly experienced and highly qualified teachers,

Rachel Billings BMus (Hons), GRNCM, PgDip, FVCM. Rachel is a professional pianist who studied at Chethams School of Music, the University of Manchester and the Royal Northern College of Music. She is also a fellow of the Victoria College of Music. 

full review with further information on the all-in-one books

The series is now published in their third revised edition and the project is a culmination of more than 15 years of work, developments and refinements. Primarily the book was published as a complete “Grades 1-5” volume, then further volumes were published at the levels of “Grades 1-3” and “Grades 4-5”. The ‘All-On-One’ method  explores memorable patterns which apply across the grades, rather than the typical fragmented approach, which is an effective way to learn. Rachel explains her method in more detail in the preface page.

These later volumes take a closer focus at more specific levels and there is an abundance of further exercises available which is why we have chosen these to include in students welcome packs over the original “Grades 1-5” book. The approach of learning throughout is introduced in a logical and interactive way,  holding the students interest. This contributes to a fuller absorption of material at the appropriate level, therefore ensuring an in-depth and thorough learning experience.

The instructions of how to use these books are clear and precise from the start and remain that way throughout. The contents pages detail syllabus requirements for the ABRSM, Trinity and Victoria College exam boards which takes the student through everything they need to know at the appropriate level.

Each book is arranged in four chapters – “Notation, Time, Tonality and General Musicianship”.

Opening with “Notation” , the book contains ‘pattern recognition’ exercises for  identifying distances quickly between notes (intervals), which is an important skill for sightreading. Thereafter, clefs and notation is explored in more detail and knowledge is tested using wonderful musical stories which are innovative and fun and enhance the educational material. Many examples are from classical compositions.

Chapter 2 is titled “Time” and deals with everything to do with rhythm, counting and how to arrange notes and rests in diverse contexts. This covers a great deal of complex information in all volumes and everything is explained thoroughly and mathematically leaving no room for miscommunication. There is a wealth of written examples, exercises and puzzles in addition to rhythmical clapping and speaking exercises making the experience of working through this chapter both informative and enjoyable.

Then we move onto the third chapter, “Tonality”. The Reference pages – which are colour coded and easy to find - cover scales and key signatures whilst elsewhere, chords occupy a large proportion of the chapter. The importance of this material cannot be emphasised enough for anyone learning an instrument. We all know our teachers make us practice scales and arpeggios but the reason for this is may not always be clear to students.

The fact is that pieces are made up of chords and scale/arpeggio patterns. A concise knowledge of basic harmony will enhance the speed of learning new pieces and performance results at the instrument. Anyone listening to a concert is expecting technical brilliance and that aspect of performance is directly influenced by a complete and internal understanding of key signatures, chords and scalic patterns. 

The final chapter is titled “General Musicianship” and gives all the necessary terminology in Italian for Grades 1-5, in French for Grade 4 and in German for Grade 5. There are unique stories, exercises and crosswords for testing the knowledge of these terms. Following that are general performance terms and a detailed analysis and explanation of the various types of musical ornamentation. Then comes an extremely informative section giving a guide to orchestral instruments and their families.

Further exercises deal with the most significance issues relating to composition and musical arrangements specific for each grade. These include transposition, part arranging for voices in score, composition of rhythms and composing melodies for instruments and voice. 

 In conclusion the ALL-IN-ONE series gives one the most complete music theory learning experiences that we have come across. The beautiful hand drawn illustrations are synonymous to their contexts and strengthen the learning experience. The detail, quality
and quantity of explanations and exercises make this
an inside-out learning experience. 

Once you have finished working through your book not only will you be equipped to tackle any of the exam situations but you will have a well-established musical knowledge base. This helps prepare students for the future and enhances their life-long relationship with playing and performing their musical instruments.