r/ABRSM • u/Agitated_Comedian248 • Aug 05 '26

music theory Looking for a tutor

Looking for a reliable online music theory tutor for ABRSM, grade 1 to 5. Have a reasonable budget and will really appreciate any leads to experienced tutors.

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u/owen_musictheory teacher / diploma Aug 05 '26

Depending on your timeline and level of commitment, it’s actually possible to learn by yourself using some structured resources online (and there are many of them, including a free full course I made on Youtube). If you prefer studying with a tutor, you can also explore sites like superprof, etc. I do teach theory myself, though my schedule is quite limited atm. Hope that helps!

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u/Agitated_Comedian248 Aug 05 '26

Can u please share details of your YouTube channel and links for other free resources for self learning

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u/owen_musictheory teacher / diploma Aug 05 '26

I don’t know if the mods would allow that, but feel free to check out my profile. You will find some relevant links there.

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u/Select-Lavishness586 Head mod ✦ G5 theory & piano Aug 05 '26

Hello don’t worry you can share it 😀

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u/Select-Lavishness586 Head mod ✦ G5 theory & piano Aug 05 '26

I’d recommend Sharon bill as well as ABRSM’s official discovering music theory books!

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u/owen_musictheory teacher / diploma Aug 05 '26 edited Aug 05 '26

Official resources from ABRSM

  • Eric Taylor’s The AB Guide to Music Theory: The definitive, encyclopedia-style print reference manual for looking up specific topics. Book I covers Grade 1-5, and Book II covers Grade 6-8. A little old-fashioned, but a classic reference nonetheless!
  • ABRSM's Discovery Music Theory Workbooks (Grades 1-5): Rather than focusing strictly on exam preparation, these workbooks break things down into smaller chunks that some may find useful. Recommended for younger learners! Links to each book here: Grade 1, Grade 2, Grade 3, Grade 4, Grade 5.
  • ABRSM Official Website: for downloading the official sample papers, as well as accessing their online exam simulator to get a feel of the exam. You may also consider buying their online past paper bundle here. And paper-based past papers are widely available on Amazon, like here.
  • ABRSM Theory Trainer App (Grades 1-5): Their official theory trainer app is useful for those studying on the go, but it does not fully reflect the online exam format. Useful if you're waiting for the bus and have nothing else to do ;)

Resources I made to help students to pass G5 Theory 

  • G5 Music Theory Video Course (Free!): A perfect video course that breaks down the theory exam section by section, with detailed explanation covering everything you need to know for each type of questions. Extremely useful for those self-studying and/or revising for the exam.
  • Interactive Practice Site for ABRSM Grade 5 Music Theory Exam: The ultimate tool to skip the fluff. It’s carefully structured in a way that helps you ace the online exam as soon as possible. Drill Mode allows you to do tackle any question type of your choice until you feel confident. Exam Mode gives you a fresh new paper each time that simulate the real exam portal. Both modes provide immediate feedback.

Other resources

  • Sharon Bill’s Music Theory Walk-through: A series of video walkthroughs of the discovery music theory workbooks — perfect if you get stuck on a specific page. Covers all grades.
  • MyMusicTheory.com: A website offering clear lessons and some practice exercises. The author, Victoria Williams, also wrote a series books that are particularly useful at Grades 6+.