What is Integrated Theory?
These piano pieces are all linked to a certain music theory topic and contain written activities relevant to that piece. The activities often include spaces in the piano part which the student needs to complete in order to play the piece, with some questions allowing more creative freedom and interpretation.
Purpose
Getting piano students to engage with written work can be a challenge, especially when the aspects of theory that are being studied are not directly relevant to their own instrument. Piano students, for example, are unlikely to have much enthusiasm for learning the alto or tenor clefs, which are part of ABRSM Grade 4 and 5 theory. Exercises in theory workbooks such as transposition are usually for single-line instruments and so students cannot play the exercise as they would with a piano piece.
Difficulty level
These pieces cover a variety of topics, from basic skills such as adding dynamics to a piece to transposition and orchestral instruments. They cover skills assessed in the ABRSM Music Theory papers, since ABRSM require Grade 5 Theory before the student can sit the Grade 6-8 practical exams, but will be equally useful for students learning music theory in other contexts.