Includes index.

The chapter everyone skips -- An ultra-brief history of musical notation -- Lines, lines, everywhere there's lines -- More lines -- Where's the beat? -- The sound of silence -- Part I review -- Meter -- Down with the count -- New notes -- Seeing dots -- Triplets! -- Part II review -- Don't say practice -- The wind-up and the pitch -- A note by any other name would sound as sweet -- Going over the clef -- No trouble with treble -- The bass of the clef -- To fathom the rhythm clef -- Part III review -- Musical terms -- Accidentals on purpose -- The piano keyboard -- Major scales -- Unlock the secret of key signatures -- The guitar fretboard -- Part IV review -- Intervals -- Minor scales -- Scales a la mode -- Blues to bebop and beyond -- Part V review -- How to conduct yourself -- Triads -- Chord extensions -- Chord inversions -- Chord progressions -- Part VI review -- Faster notes and double dots -- Double flats, double sharps -- More meters -- Part VII review -- What comes next.