Fun and Effective Ways to Memorise Musical Terms: Grades 1–5 Have you ever learnt a musical term, felt sure you knew it, and then completely forgotten what it meant when you needed it? Music theory involves quite a lot of vocabulary, particularly as you progress through the grades. Many of the terms are Italian, with […]

Is All-In-One Music Theory Suitable for American Students? Yes. Although the All-In-One Music Theory books are not widely known in the United States, they have proved popular among the American students who have discovered them. The books were originally developed in the UK and are primarily based around the UK music examination system. However, one […]

Chopin’s Scherzo No. 2: From Simple Sequences to a Triumphant Musical Arrival Music theory concepts explored in this performance: ✓ Sequence ✓ Root notes ✓ Real and tonal sequence principles ✓ Modulation ✓ Diminished chords ✓ Enharmonic equivalents ✓ Dominant 7th Chords ✓ Perfect cadence Simple Concepts – Grand Design In my beginner article about […]

Why does the dominant 7th chord resolve to the tonic? The Dominant 7th Chord and Its Attraction to the Tonic One of the most important relationships in tonal music is the movement from the dominant 7th chord to the tonic: V⁷ → I Take C major as an example. The dominant 7th chord is: G […]

Real and Tonal Sequences in Music Theory: Explained with Examples (Trinity Grade 3) What is a sequence in music theory? A sequence is a musical pattern that is repeated at a different pitch, usually higher or lower. At first, this may seem like a simple exercise: identify the repeated pattern and work out how it […]

How to Read Music Notes Faster: Pattern Recognition & Ledger Lines One of the biggest hurdles for music theory students is learning to recognise notes quickly and confidently. Many beginners try to memorise every single note position separately, but this can become overwhelming — especially when notes move above and below the stave onto ledger […]

Chord Inversions Explained: Root Position, First and Second Inversion A chord inversion occurs when a chord is arranged so that a note other than its root is in the bass. For a triad, there are three possible positions: root position, first inversion and second inversion. Understanding chord inversions is an important part of learning harmony […]

Can I Use My Trinity Grade 5 Theory Pass to Take ABRSM Grade 6 Practical? Yes. If you’ve passed Trinity College London Grade 5 Theory, you can use your qualification to enter ABRSM Grade 6, Grade 7 and Grade 8 Practical examinations. ABRSM explicitly accepts Trinity College London/Trinity Guildhall Grade 5 (or above) in Theory […]

How to Identify Major Key Signatures (Without Memorising Every Key)                     Two of  fifteen Reference pages found in Chapter Three of  All-In-One to Grade 5, All-In-One: Grades 1-3 and All-In-One: Grades 4-5 books  Learn how to identify major key signatures quickly and confidently using the simple […]

Bridging the Dreaded Gap: How to Transition from Grade 5 to Grade 6 Music Theory Smoothly ABRSM and Trinity Graded Checklist: Optional Grade 6 topics are indicated in italics. Many students find the transition from ABRSM Grade 5 music Theory to Grade 6 challenging. Grade 6 introduces a deeper understanding of harmony, chords, composition and […]

Substantial Differences Between the Third and Previous Editions of All-In-One to Grade 5 The final paragraph of the Preface in All-In-One to Grade 5 summarises the principal differences between the Third Edition and the previous (First and Second) editions: ‘The most recent edition (THIRD EDITION) features further simplification throughout the book, making it even more […]

Why I wrote All-In-One Music Theory by Rachel Billings I thought it might be helpful to share a few thoughts in response to questions I’ve occasionally been asked—usually about All-In-One to Grade 5, the first book in the series and the most familiar. In total, there are ten books that make up the All-In-One music […]

    Aaron Publications Exhibiting at Music & Drama Education Expo 2018 Aaron Publications is delighted to announce that we will be exhibiting at the Music & Drama Education Expo 2018 at Olympia London on 22–23 February 2018. As Europe’s largest conference and exhibition for music and drama educators, the Music & Drama Education Expo […]

All-In-One Music Theory Books Compared: Which Book Is Right for You? All-In-One to Grade 5 or All-In-One: Grades 1–3 and/or  All-In-One: Grades 4–5 The All-In-One Music Theory books are a popular choice for students preparing for graded music theory exams. The All-In-One Music Theory books are a popular choice for students preparing for graded music theory […]

The History of All-In-One Music Theory and Victoria College of Music How the Collaboration Began The connection between All-In-One Music Theory and Victoria College of Music began at Rhinegold Expo in 2017, where Rachel Billings was exhibiting the All-In-One Music Theory books. For more background, see the subsequent Aaron Publications at the Music & Drama […]

UK and US Music Theory Terminology: Note Values Explained UK and US Note Value Terminology Explained Music theory terminology differs between English-speaking countries, particularly in the naming of note values. The notation itself is the same. The principal difference is the terminology used to describe it. In the United States, note values are commonly described […]

Aaron Publications at Music & Drama Education EXPO 2017 In February 2017, Aaron Publications exhibited at the Music & Drama Education EXPO at London Olympia. The event, organised by Rhinegold Publishing, is one of Europe’s largest conferences and exhibitions for music and drama education. Held on 9th–10th February 2017, the EXPO brought together educators, publishers, […]

The Importance of Music Theory Music theory helps many musicians perform better and provides a window into the composer’s mind and intentions. The importance of music theory should be widely recognised. It is with good reason that the ABRSM exam board says students must pass the Grade 5 Music Theory exam before they can take […]

ABRSM vs Trinity College London Music Theory: Key Differences If you’re deciding between ABRSM and Trinity College London Music Theory examinations, it’s useful to understand the differences between the two syllabuses. Although they have much in common, Trinity College London Music Theory includes some additional topics and different requirements. The All-In-One Music Theory workbooks and […]