Originally published in the 1940s, Paul Hindemith's remakable 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