Anticipation: E-Z Play Today

Carly Simon's 'Anticipation' offers piano students a chance to inhabit a song that balances immediate melodic appeal with genuine emotional complexity. The E-Z Play format makes this distinctive pop-rock arrangement accessible, yet the underlying harmonic and rhythmic choices reward attentive study and expressive playing.

Expectant and propulsive, with an irresistible forward momentum that mirrors the title itself. The energy builds steadily, drawing the listener into the narrative while the piano plays a central role in establishing the song's emotional landscape.

This arrangement suits intermediate pianists who want to explore contemporary pop-rock repertoire beyond simplified "hits" collections. Students can develop confidence interpreting music from the singer-songwriter tradition while building familiarity with a universally recognized song.

• Pay attention to the relationship between your left hand and melody. The accompaniment figures should breathe alongside the vocal line rather than simply fill space.
• Explore the dynamics across the form. Anticipation builds in layers, so resist the urge to play everything at full volume from the start.
• The groove matters here. Lock into the rhythmic pocket of the original while maintaining flexibility in your phrasing of the melody.

Pair this with other 1970s singer-songwriter standards to create a programming unit on the era, or use it as a confidence-building solo for an intermediate student on a recital. Its four pages make it manageable for sight-reading practice while remaining musically substantive.

• Reading pop-rock notation in a contemporary idiom
• Coordinating melody and accompaniment texture
• Building dynamic shape across a multi-section form
• Interpreting syncopated rhythms in the accompaniment