Hey there forumites!
I want to start to teach myself to grade 5 theory, im grade 4 standard and havent taken any exams, however i will take a grade two or three exam before doing grade five, just so i can see what a theory exam is like, and still have grade three even if i fail grade five.
So, i have taught myself up to grade four, well most of it i just picked up from my playing, and i have done past papers for grades I, II,III and IV and passed them all very easily, but my teacher won't teach me anymore theory (im changing after easter Re: my thread in the teachers forum a while ago) and she will probably enter me for an exam. But what i want to know is what books can i get, dolmetsch ive looked at and is abit boring, not a huge fan.
I have the Grade 5 ABRSM Music Theory in Practice, I also have the little red book by the ABRSM that has the grade I to V thingys in it, i can't think what its called right at the minute.

Thanks,
Alex

There's also the AB guide to music theory. there's one for grades 1 - 5 and another for 6 - 8. one's blue and one's pink but i forget which is which. but they're very useful. I found that the little red book just said what was in the big book but didn't have the excersises so in hinesight (is that how you spell it) you probably didn't need to get both but I did so never mind

i was given the little red book by someone else

Is there any difference between the guide to theory and Music Theory in Practice?

Why take an exam that will cost around £20 when you have already completed past papers at that level and passed "very easily". The only difference between a past paper and a paper that could give you a certificate is the room you take it in!

Lots of teachers produce worksheets and mind maps to help with the theory syllabus. Sometimes it's not buying another book that's important.

Enjoy putting into practice what you learn!

I think the guide gives you a bit more information then you need for the exam, but I'm not sure - it definitely does in the grade 6 - 8 book. However I agree with JohnS's comment that a teacher makes all the difference. especially if you want to go beyond grade 5. I did grades 1 - 5 with my piano/violin teacher and then we dabbled at grade 6 but didn't really get anywhere. I then went to a speciallist theory teacher and this might have been my specific teacher (She is like a theory Goddess) but it all seemed really simple when she explained it.

Are there any perticular bits in the grade 5 syllabus that you are having trouble with?

chord cadences, everything else i can do to be honest, every thing else seems fairly easy to be honest

http://www.abrsm.org/resources/theory06Gr5.pdf

Part Four of that

hooray i can do the chord cadences now! the site i had looked at made it inredibly complicated, i didnt realise it was so easy!!

If only this book had the answers so i could check it =/

that website does make it quite complicated. just remember that 5/3 is root position, 6/3 is 1st inversion and 6/4 is 2nd inversion.

oh no, not that link~
Gmajormusictheory.com

Ah, no I know I meant that dolmetsch was a bit confusing.

Although I started to learn from Grade 1, and progressed to Grade 5, but I never took any grades exam from 1 to 4. I sat for Grade 5 straight away. I used the so-called "Little red book" or its actual title is "First Step in Music Theory" as my main reference. For exercise, I used "Music Theory in Practice Grade 5" by Eric Taylor. However, the exercises for Grade 1 to 4, I used "Music Theory makes Easy" series by Lina Ng. It is actually a very helpful and good exercise series written by a Malaysian music teacher. I do not think that you will get it in UK so any place else, besides Malaysia. However, as far as you understand English, I think you do not have much problem with the "Little red book" and Music Theory in Practice by Eric Taylor. Although English is my second language, but I still can study theory with lots of joy! Regarding to the AB Guide Music Theory, Part One is pink in colour, whereas Part Two is blue in colour. Part One is more than sufficient for you to sit for the Grade 5 exam. On the other hand, Part Two is intend for higher grade exams (6 to 8). But you still can find lots of information about instrument families in Part Two, which you need some of this knowledge for the Grade 5 exam.
Of course, there are difference between the AB Guides and Music Theory in Practice. AB Guides tell you every single things about music elements, whereas Music Theory in Practice tells you the things in the syllabus, in respective grade! When you proceed to higher grades, you will find out the book called "Theory Workbook" series (6 to 8 only), which tell you how to answer and tackle the exam questions. Whereas "Harmony in Practice" by Anna Butterworth is a book to learn Harmony when you study 6 to 8.
Anyway, all the best to your Grade 5 learning!

We can get those quite easily in the Uk.
They are pretty good but I do find that sometimes things are not quite as clear as they could be.
I'm also not too fond of the grade 5 book as the composition question uses several well known melodies(to me at least).

Well, that puts me to shame.
My english is worse than yours, and its my first language!

Ill have a loot at some of those books. Thanks both of you who replied

Oh?! I am very suprise that the books are actually published in UK. That's nice to hear that. :-)

I'm using her Theory for Little children with one of my pupils who loves the stickers.

an update

Im actually finding this very easy now

The only thing i get a bit confused on is changing the time signature but keeping the same rhythm.
:S

Start by working out what counts 1 in the original and in the new time signature.
1 must ALWAYS equal 1.

oh thanks for reminding me.
when i used to do my grade four MTIP book work, i used to think, right that note is worth One qurter of the bar, so whats one quarter in _____


Terrible memory i know, lol
but thankyou!