All By Myself: E-Z Play Today

This pairing of two iconic solo piano ballads gives students access to material they genuinely want to play. The two-page format keeps the learning curve manageable while preserving the emotional weight that makes these songs worth performing in the first place.

Both pieces sit in that intimate space between quiet vulnerability and understated strength. The piano writing here emphasizes clarity and space, letting silence become as expressive as the notes themselves.

Pianists who connect with vocal-driven pop ballads and want to develop their ability to accompany or arrange popular songs. This works well for intermediate students building confidence with contemporary standards and for teachers seeking repertoire that motivates practice.

• Establish the tempo by feeling the pulse of the accompaniment; rushing through the intro undermines the song's contemplative opening.
• Shape each phrase by releasing slightly at the end of lyrical statements, even when playing the melody alone without vocal text.
• Balance the left hand accompaniment so it supports the melody without overwhelming it; these songs live in the singing line.

These arrangements make strong candidates for coffee house concerts, recitals featuring contemporary music, or tribute programs. You might also use them to bridge classical and popular repertoire within a single student's curriculum.

• Sustaining tone color across long phrases and dynamic changes
• Balancing melody and accompaniment within a single staff system
• Interpreting rubato and timing flexibility without losing harmonic grounding
• Reading and realizing functional chord notation alongside standard notation