Wonderful! - Rated 
This book explains music theory so clearly that even a complete beginner like me can grasp it easily and quickly. He does not overwhelm you with too much at once, just one tiny simple step built upon another. This is one of the hallmarks of a good teacher, that he can put himself in the shoes of a total novice and 'forget' everything that he knows so well that it is second nature and see it once again through the eyes of a newcomer to the subject.
I've been struggling with the Idiot's Guide To Music theory and found it really hard going. You are given too much too quickly and it's brain clanging. I'm glad I only got it from the library and did not actually buy it. As for this book it was bought from Waterstones and worth every penny.
Handy reference - that's it though... - Rated 
I believe this book is intended as a companion to a series of ABRSM workbooks. It can be very confusing at times, with not enough examples. I couldn't help feeling slightly suspicous that it was deliberately vague at times so that the student would need to go out and purchase each of the workbooks aswell.
I'd advise against purchasing this if you are starting from scratch, with no prior knowledge of music theory. Buy the workbooks instead.
An absolutely outstanding book - Rated
Without a doubt, the best possible guide to Grade 5 theory. This guide provided clear and concise explanations for grade 5 theory exam. However, it can be a bit confusing at time, and it is therefore better used as a reference book to complement classes from someone that's already done the exam. Of course, it is also imperative to have some practise papers to understand the kind of things you need in the exam!
Great Reference for Music Theory - Rated
Rudiments of theory have never been so well explained since the first volume of the AB guide to music theory. The Second volume of this guide builds on the first as well as introducing new concepts such as 'Modern Developments in Music', 'Instruments in Combination' and many aspects of melody and harmonies.
The book consists of eleven chapters, divided into subsections, and four appendices. It is very easy to use and contains a lot of hard to find information and many useful examples. Most of the Italian, German and French performance directions that you may ever need are listed in the back of the first volume, but the second volume offers more technical guide lines for performance such as various clefs and Roman Numerals for chord inversions. As a student of music myself I have found this book useful on several occasions and it has saved me hours of research and learning through trial and error! This book is a must for anyone with a genuine interest in music, any avid composers or anyone taking The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music examinations; theory or practical. I would highly recommend this book and other books by Eric Taylor as they are competitively priced and invaluable for serious musicians.
From Theory to Reality - Rated
In this book Eric Taylor sets about translating the language of musical theory into one that the whole world can understand. By the use of simple comparisons and memorable analagies he explores the basics of music theory up to the level which allows a progressing musician to deepen their comprehension of musical understanding. Before I began to read this book it was on the purely technical basis that if I could pass the exam I could sit exams higher than grade five, but once I had started reading I found that it was surprisingly interesting and easy to understand, qualities that I would accredit mainly to the simpistic language and the relaxed style of explaining something that I thought I would never be able to understand. The book is very clearly set out, broken down into small sections progressing in difficulty but keeping still a strong feeling of continuity which I think can be one of the difficulties with such a topic. Illustraing almost each topic with at least one simple and well annotated diagram breaks up the reading into smaller more digestible parts like choruses acting each as interludes between the verses of a song. Eric taylor has certainly made a huge difference to my life as having passed the grade five theory with no teacher and no previous knowledge of the subject I am now going on to study for my grade eight in singing and hope to sing ad teach one day. I would reccomend this book for reading by anyone at all studying music theory. It should always be at hand whenever you are doing anything musical and should act as your bible - well, musically speaking of course!
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