Utter newbie looking for GOOD music theory book

[likesRachmaninoff]

Hello everyone,

I am an utter newbie and I want to learn music theory the right way. I picked up a couple of books (Beginning Piano for Adults by JW/JS Bastien being one of them) and they actually  had wrong spellings for dom. 7ths and so I stopped using them. Is there a "bible" so to speak, which I can use, and be sure that it presents the correct information in a no nonsense, dont-insult-my-intelligence way?

Any help is greatly appreciated.

I think I should add one note of clarification. My final aim (say, 15 year plan) is to be able to play a good number of the classical scores and possibly know music theory well enough to play jazz.

Thanks.

[lea]

try the associated board of the royal schools music theory books, they're widely known and you can also sit exams

i also suggest going to a music theory teacher as it is sooooo much easier to understand theory