The band was called Patient Karma. They had a van with three working tires, and a bassist named Sage, who refused to play the root note. The others begged. Pleaded. During rehearsal, the singer Darius, finally snapped: Sage, play the damn root! Sage sipped kombucha and replied: The root is already there. Why should I announce the obvious? Because the song needs it! shouted Dave, the guitarist. You can’t just float around on fifths and thirds like a ghost with presence issues. Sage smirked: Listen closer, maybe the song is about what’s missing. At a festival in the desert a sandstorm hit. Setlist blown away. Dave cursed the sky. Sage played one long, droning harmonic. No root. The wind quieted. A new song emerged, one by one they joined in, unscripted, unresolved, undeniable. Afterward, a fan came up: What was that piece called? Sage met their eyes: It’s called The Note I Didn’t Play.