There is no definitive list of “best” books to learn from, and I don’t want to try to provide one. There are many books out there, and none are really comprehensive. This means you should look for multiple books and other source materials which helps you understand Music Theory.

I’m going to offer a few examples but would urge you to consider all resources as you choose books to study from. You can also seek out theory books designed for your instrument. Plan on using more than one book, since different ways of understanding the topics are normal. Music Teachers can be a useful source of book recommendations.

For example, if you are a Drummer you will want to study rudiments as part of your theory training. The following books seem like they might be useful: Stick Control for the Snare Drummer by George Lawrence Stone; Groove Alchemy by Stanton Moore; The Drum Rudiment Bible: 500 Rudiments Beginner to Advanced by D. Agostinelli, Modern Reading Text In 4/4 by Louis Bellson, and The Drummer’s Complete Vocabulary As Taught by Alan Dawson.

For guitar, I benefitted greatly from Leon White’s series of books on music theory, chord structures, studio music styles, and improvisation. I’d also recommend the Berklee Press books for guitar theory. I like Mark Baxter’s voice lesson books and he also has excellent free training videos for vocalists on his website.

You will find music theory books geared to every instrument. There’s no shortage of authoritative sources for books, video courses, and DVDs to learn theory for any level and instrument (including voice).

You will also find numerous blogs, videos, and articles online with clear explanations of various music theory topics. Google is your friend. You should definitely check out our existing articles “Why Do We Learn Music Theory?” and “Music Theory for Beginners: The Simple Way.”

You can find many books about music used online for just a few dollars. I recommend you pick up an abridged music dictionary, such as the Harvard Dictionary of Music, as it is useful to have on hand to look up any terms you come across you aren’t sure of the meaning for.

Mark McGrain’s Music Notation is an outstanding workbook to learn how to draw all the music symbols, and is also useful as a reference manual for writing music. There are software notation programs such as Finale and Sibelius you might also find useful to learn more about music notation.

If you know any Music Teachers or professional musicians, ask them for their top recommendations. Study prominent music schools’ websites for suggested learning materials. Lastly, don’t discount the usefulness of magazine articles and blogs. If you search, you will find many shorter, well-written articles with clear examples in them for free. Use them.

Our picks for the best music theory books include:

• Stick Control for the Snare Drummer by George Lawrence Stone
• Groove Alchemy by Stanton Moore
• The Drum Rudiment Bible: 500 Rudiments Beginner to Advanced by D. Agostinelli
• Modern Reading Text In 4/4 by Louis Bellson
• The Drummer’s Complete Vocabulary as Taught By Alan Dawson
• Chord Systems: Sound and Structure and others by Leon White
• Berklee Music Theory series by Berklee Press
• Singer’s Toolbox and others by Mark Baxter
• Music Notation: Theory and Technique for Music Notation by Mark McGrain

In this video, a college Music Theory instructor shares his favorite books and makes recommendations:

Rick Beato has some great videos explaining the basics of Music Theory in an easy-to-understand way:

Having the knowledge and applying the knowledge are two different things. You may know all the scales and chords, but have you learned to use them? We apply music theory in two important ways: in writing and in performing music. Can you write out all the scales and chords? Can you play them on your instrument and sing them?

We might also express our knowledge verbally. Can you name the notes one by one? Being able to verbalize Music Theory topics is helpful for communicating with other musicians about music.

We use music theory as a tool to analyze established works in order to learn from them. When we are composing, or writing songs, music theory gives us a solid foundation to analyze and understand what we create.

Even when using our ear and intuition in the creative process, knowledge of Music Theory is helpful. Music theory, and especially chord scale knowledge, is super important for improvising (soloing), and arranging music for all instruments and in every musical style.

Musicians use their theory knowledge on a daily basis. Music theory is an important tool when learning new music, as it provides a framework for understanding and memorizing unfamiliar music. It’s important to note that music theory is an applied subject, and not only theoretical, despite its name.

See Andrew Huang’s 30 Minute crash course in Music Theory:

Conservatories, colleges, and universities usually test applicants’ theory level as one way to assess their preparedness for advanced study. When I used to conduct “eligibility interviews” for a college admissions office, I would ask the students to spell scales, key signatures, modes, and chords. We always valued accuracy over speed, but if the student was accurate and fast it would make a good impression.

Here’s an example: I might ask an applicant: Tell me the key signature for A flat. The correct answer is: 4 flats; B flat, E flat, A flat, and D flat. (Notice that the flats in the key come in the order that they appear in the circle of 5ths – so we can write the key signatures properly.)

Or I might ask the applicant to spell the same scale using the note names in ascending order. The answer is: A flat, B flat, C, D flat, E flat, F, G, A flat. The A flat major 7 chord? A flat, C, E flat, and G.

If they could do the preceding, I might ask them to spell a chord with tensions, check their knowledge of intervals, or spell a mode. This way, I could very quickly and easily get an understanding of how much theory a student knows when conducting an evaluation.

Remember that everyone started at the same place, with no knowledge. Music theory is a cumulative subject area, in that every topic builds on what came before it. For example, if you haven’t memorized your circle of 5ths, you couldn’t possibly spell your key signatures.

We would also ask students to demonstrate their knowledge on their instrument. Maybe you weren’t really quick in recalling your memorized scales and chords when asked to spell (or write) them. Not a problem; now, take out your instrument and play (or sing) the example.

Can you play an A flat major scale properly? If you know it on your instrument, you know it! The next logical step is to write it down, of course. You should also be able to read it off a page.

We might also ask students to identify written examples. So, I would show you a written chord voicing or a scale and you should identify it by name. Or I’ll ask you to write it out for me on the staff. If you are musically literate, this will all come much more easily to you.

Almost always, students would have some difficulty with music theory in one area or another. That wouldn’t be a big problem as long as they had an overall grasp of the subject.

Remember that everyone started at the same place, with no knowledge. Music theory is a cumulative subject area, in that every topic builds on what came before it. For example, if you haven’t memorized your circle of 5ths, you couldn’t possibly spell your key signatures.

In this video, Bassist and Music Educator extraordinaire Victor Wooten breaks down a theory topic to make it super-simple:

Finally, I would ask a student to improvise using a certain scale over a chord or chord progression. I could ask you to play an A Blues scale over a 12-bar blues progression in the key of A Major. Could you do it? Improvising is the ultimate test of your theory knowledge.

Now, there are people who can improvise but don’t know any of the theory. They have “good ears” and just rely on what sounds good to them. There’s nothing wrong with that, of course, but I can very quickly find out how much theory they know by asking them to describe what they are doing.

That’s the thing about music theory; you either know it or you don’t. It might sound intimidating to hear musicians talking about all these theory topics, but once you know what the terms mean, it opens up a whole new vista of possibilities to try out. It’s like being a member of an exclusive club.

I always viewed my theory knowledge as something to fall back on when I wasn’t sure what to play or write in music. I’d rather rely on my ears and gut instincts to just play what sounds good, but sometimes I’m faced with unfamiliar musical settings and need to quickly figure out what scale to use. That is where the theory knowledge really kicks in.

Watch this video, A Beginner’s Guide to Music Theory:

You could use my list of theory topics in the first installment of this 2-part article as a guide, with the understanding that you won’t necessarily be responsible for ALL the topics there. If you were solid on at least half of the topics you might be in pretty good shape.

Keep in mind that each school will have its own requirements for admissions, and they should have a list of theory topics for you to review. If it’s not on their website, you could request it from them. Ask for either the music department or the admissions office to get their list of Music Theory topics they are looking for. Then study up on them.

Colleges are evaluating your preparedness to compete in their programs based on more than just Music Theory knowledge. A solid foundation in music theory could be viewed as an indication that a student is well-prepared in other areas of music. Schools will look at each applicant as an individual, so there won’t necessarily be a “cut-off” for those with limited theory background, as long as an applicant is strong in other areas.

Having a recommendation letter from a Music Teacher that specifies your theory level might be helpful. You could also show examples of your written works, such as scores or lead sheets, or even homework assignments (as long as they are neatly done). The goal of the admissions process is not to keep you out; rather, they want to be certain you will have the tools to succeed in their programs.

Note that in countries outside of the US there are often centralized exams students take to get into music schools, which will include a Music Theory exam. Students typically take specialized courses to prepare for these standardized exams. In the US we have “Advanced Placement” (AP) courses available, which are supposed to be the equivalent of taking an entry-level college course and lead to taking an exam.

I recommend that you get the basics and then progress with your theory to the intermediate and advanced topics. Get a private instructor or attend classes if you can. There’s an awful lot you can figure out on your own using music industry books and other resources.

Most important: music theory is not something to fear. Anyone can learn it, given some time and effort. Embrace your Music Theory studies with curiosity and diligence, and watch yourself grow musically as a result.

This concludes Part 2 of a two-part series.

(Find Part 1 of this article here: What Is Music Theory?)

Here’s some bonus videos for anyone interested in learning Music Theory on their own.

As Much Music Theory As I Can Teach In 1 hour – Rick Beato

Music Theory in 12 minutes for noobs – Shred

For students abroad, here’s some info on the Music Theory standardized exams:

Grade 1 ABRSM Music Theory – Everything You Need To Know with Sharon Bill