This collection was composed to promote and improve music reading. The collection is a multi-volume set that is presented in a logical and organized manner that gradually builds literacy. Since these etudes contain no rolls or ornamentation, they can be utilized by all musicians. The earliest etudes do not contain dynamics, this decision was made so that music students could focus entirely on improving reading.

This 􏰥rst volume consists entirely of stepwise etudes. Rhythms throughout the collection gradually increase in complexity, but never move beyond common sixteenth-note rhythms in simple meters. In fact, sixteenth notes are not introduced until Etude 19.