This video is the first in a series which will introduce the viewer to a philosophic approach for, and a morphologic background to, the diagnosis of children with congenitally malformed hearts. In each video we demonstrate the anatomy as seen in echocardiographic cuts, relating to the three-dimensional structure of the heart and then show the echocardiographic images themselves, demonstrating the window from which they have been obtained. The first video is the essential introduction to normality, showing the orthogonal planes of the heart relative to the body, and illustrates how the echocardiographer interrogates each plane. Emphasis is then placed on normal anatomic features which underscore sequential segmental analysis. The video is the first of its kind and is accompanied by an explanatory booklet containing video time codes to guide the viewer.