Foreword / Kristin Chenoweth -- Author's note -- 1. Wilkommen (A little brains, a little talent: the ingredients for a career ; Racing with the clock: how to make the most of your rehearsal time ; Side by side: an artistic collaboration with the writer ; The sound of music: the elements of musical notation ; What more do I need: required tools of the trade) -- 2. I got rhythm: fundamentals (The rhythm of life: how we divide time ; You can't stop the beat: first definitions, quarter notes ; Just in time: time signatures, note shapes ; The speed test: metronomes and their use ; Breathe: rests) -- 3. In short: smaller note values (Tonight at eight: the eighth note ; We go together: beams ; A little bit off: off-beats and "ands" ; I'm old fashioned: vocal notation in older scores ; Pretty little picture: musical "words" and syncopation ; Small world: the sixteenth note) -- 4. Hold on: ties and dots (Married: ties ; Stay with me: dots).

5. Play a simple melody: the piano keyboard, notes, clefs and staves (I love a piano: finding notes on the keyboard ; I could write a book: writing notes on the staff ; Me, who am I?: clefs, letter names and the grand staff ; You will be found: matching notes on the piano with notes on the staff) -- 6. I've got your number: intervals and scale degrees (Go the distance: basic interval sizes and names ; Home: the tonic and scale degrees ; Do-re-mi: the Kodály method) -- 7. You do something to me: accidentals, key signatures and transposition (I am changing: accidentals and the black keys of the piano ; Ring of keys: the major scale, key signatures and the circle of fifths ; They just keep moving the line: transposing songs) -- 8. So big, so small: identifying and singing every interval type.

9. Fascinatin' rhythm: cut time, triplets, swing; compound, composite and irregular meters (Two by two: cut time ; Squeeze me: triplets and grace notes ; By threes: compound meter ; It don't mean a thing: swing notation ; Unusual way: irregular and composite meters ; Change don't come easy: shifting meters) -- 10. Let it sing: combining your ear and your eye for increased fluency (Doin' what comes natur'lly: diatonic versus chromatic melodies ; Do you want to build a snowman?: triads and inversions ; Far from the home I love: strategies for chromatic melodies) -- 11. Changing my major: minor keys (Three friends: the minor scales ; Sing happy: minor scales in context ; Show me the key: distinguishing between major and minor keys ; Sisters: minor, diminished, and augmented triads) -- 12. I know things now: combining multiple techniques to form a coherent strategy for reading (What comes next?: reading ahead ; 1-STARRT at the very beginning: a method for analyzing and annotating any new song).

13. No one is alone: singing with other performers (Here I am: finding your starting note ; I'm part of that: consonance and dissonance with the piano accompaniment; piano conductor scores ; Do you hear the people sing?: choral singing and score layouts) -- 14. The writing on the wall: musical markings, repeat structures, and other score "road maps" (Be Italian: tempo marking ; Loud: dynamic and articulation markings ; Stop, time: pauses and held notes ; Speak low: other expressive markings and spoken text ; Back to before: repeats, D.C., D.S., and codas ; Ah, but underneath: underscoring and vamps ; On the street where you live: rehearsal numbers and letters ; Do it again: AABA form and other song structures) -- 15. Hey, look me over: close score reading for dramatic and character analysis (Mama, look sharp: every mark is a choice ; The wrong note rag: analyzing dissonance and contour to color your performance ; Watch what happens: dramatic inspiration from the piano accompaniment ; A change in me: reading key changes and altered notes for textual insight) -- 16. I have confidence: continuing to practice and consolidate your technique (I can see it: eye-training exercises ; A trip to the library: the joys of reading music alone and with others).