Keys to Music Theory 1A

'Keys to Music Theory 1A' is a new, vibrant and fresh approach to Music Theory. It is ideal for the 21st Century instrumentalist or singer, or the curious listener, of any age.


This book has been born out of the more extensive primer / textbook Keys to Music Theory 1, and is a smaller volume, covering the first topic of the four in that book. It is a step by step guide to the initial element of music theory - notation - and it assumes no prior knowledge at all.


The pages are full of clear and concise explanations, underpinned by bold and imaginative illustrations, various interactivity, a comprehensive glossary, and lots of quiz questions for testing your learning, dotted throughout the book. You can move entirely at your own pace, to a secure understanding of how to interpret what is on the page, and translate it into sound.


What it covers :

• the symbols of rhythm; notes and rests

• the stave, clefs, pitch, ledger lines and the Grand Stave

• accidentals, and the semitone / half step pitch gap

• the link between written music, and sounds made on a piano keyboard

• the enharmonic equivalent


The author, Jane Emmanuel, has been teaching classical singing and music theory, to both children and adults, for over 30 years. This book arises from her long experience of communicating these concepts to countless students reluctant to even begin this amazing journey.


Mark Proctor's design has been key in helping to transform this subject from the perceived 'dull and boring', and maybe even a little 'scary', into a vivid, stimulating and much more enjoyable experience.