This is a chronological study of the musical life of the Beatles, from 1956 up to 1965. The main focus is on the materials and structures of the Beatles' melodies, harmonies, counterpoint, rhythms, and the ways these portray the themes of their poetry. The book also addresses performance practice, recording procedure, historical context and more.

The Beatles as Musicians: The Quarry Men through Rubber Soul is a comprehensive, chronologically-ordered study of every aspect of the group's musical life - composition, performance, recording and reception histories - from its beginnings in 1956 through 1965. Richly authoritative interpretations from every available reliable musical document are interwoven through a documentary study of many thousands of audio, video, print, and multimedia sources. The text will enable general readers and musicians as well as educated music theorists to learn new levels of beauty in the music of the Beatles.

1. Maps
2. PRELUDE: Thinking of Living
3. ONE: And the Band Begins to Play (1956-1960)
4. TWO: Someone to Love, Somebody New (1960-1963)
5. INTERLUDE: I Want to Hold Your Hand
6. THREE: I'm Not What I Appear to Be (1964)
7. FOUR: I'm Here to Show Everybody the Light (1965)
8. POSTLUDE: The Act You've Known for All These Years (1957-2000)
9. Appendix: Instruments Played by the Early Period Beatles
10. Table of Chord Functions
11. Glossary of Terms
Notes
References
Index of Names, Songs, Albums, Videos, and Artworks