Originally published in the 1940s, Paul Hindemith's remarkable textbooks are still the outstanding works of their kind. In contrast to many musical textbooks written by academic musicians, these were produced by a man who could play every instrument of the orchestra, could compose a satisfying piece for almost every kind of ensemble, and who was one of the most stimulating teachers of his day. It is therefore not surprising that nearly forty years later these books should remain essential reading for the student and the professional musician.

Preface - Quarter-notes, half-notes, and whole-notes (and rests) - High, medium, and low tones - 2/4 and 4/4 meters - G-clef, and tones f', g', a', b' - Eighth-notes and sixteenth-notes - Tones e' and c' - 3/4 meter, dotted half-notes, ties - Tones d' and c'; octave; ledger lines; one- and two-lined octaves - Slurs; syllable division; up-beats; dynamic accents - Dotted quarter- and eighth-notes (and rests) - Small octave; major scale; # and natural; diatonic and chromatic half-tones; key signatures - Time-signatures of simple meters having the denominators 1, 2, 8, and 16; indications for slow and moderate tempi; brevis and dotted whole-notes - Three- and four-lined octaves; b - Double-dotted notes (and rests); thirty-second- and sixty-fourth-notes; indications for fast tempi - Bass clef; great octave; intervals; perfect fifth and fourth; inversions - Metric accents; meter and rhythm; cundoctors' patterns for beating time; syncopation; compound meters - Contra octrave and sub-contra octave; major and minor thirds and sixths; transposition - Triplets and other divisions by factors not implied in the time-signatures - Major and minor seconds and sevenths - Indications for changing tempi - Meters with signatures having the numerators 5, 7, etc. and corresponding patterns for beating time - Alto clef; augmented and diminished intervals; prime or unson; x and bb; enharmonic transcription; circle of fifths, circle of fourths - Indications of dynamics and expressions - Musical Form - Tenor clef; intervals exceeding the octave; doubly diminshed or augmented intervals; minor scale (all forms); Church Modes; relative major and minor; signatures of minor keys - Abbreviations; rests longer than one measure; ornaments; marks of articulation; chromatic scale - Preface to Part Two - Dictations (incl. discussion of "absolute pitch") - Index