Breakaway: Piano/Vocal/Chords

This collection captures a full decade of pop and rock radio in one volume, giving pianists access to arrangements that feel authentic to the recordings while remaining playable at the keyboard. The mix of styles—from Kelly Clarkson's power ballads to Jason Mraz's island grooves to Green Day's punk energy—means you'll find material that resonates across different student interests and skill levels. Having guitar chords and full lyrics built into each arrangement makes this genuinely useful for collaborative settings, whether you're supporting a vocalist or working with guitarists.

Opening this book transports you straight into the 2000s pop and rock landscape: you'll find ballads that build toward emotional climaxes, uptempo grooves that make you want to move, and singalong hooks that stick immediately. The arrangements honor what made these songs resonate on the radio while adapting them thoughtfully for piano and voice.

This collection serves pianists and keyboardists who want repertoire that connects with contemporary radio hits, plus vocalists and guitarists looking for professionally arranged accompaniment that sounds like the original recordings. Students preparing solo recitals, duets, or informal performance settings will find material that feels current and engaging without requiring advanced classical technique.

• Study the original recording before diving into the piano arrangement. These charts are designed to feel like the hits, and knowing the production choices (tempo, dynamic shape, instrumental texture) will help you voice the arrangement with intention rather than playing it note-for-note as written.
• Pay close attention to the rhythmic feel and groove. Many of these songs (Gnarls Barkley's 'Crazy,' Rihanna's 'Umbrella,' Jason Mraz's 'I'm Yours') depend on pocket and swing rather than strict metronomic time. Lock into the pocket before worrying about perfecting every note.
• Balance the melody line with the harmonic support. When you're comping behind a vocalist or guitarist, resist the urge to fill every space. Let the chords breathe and give the front-line instruments room to shine.
• Experiment with different voicings for the guitar chords. The chord symbols are there as a map, not gospel. Your pianist hands may want to voice them differently than a guitarist would, and that's exactly right.

Use these arrangements to build concert programs that appeal to families and general audiences who know these songs by heart. They work equally well as solo features for a accomplished student pianist or as accompaniment vehicles for vocalists and guitarists taking turns in the spotlight. Consider programming several of these alongside each other to create a 'hits of the 2000s' set that energizes any informal recital or school concert.

• Interpreting lead sheets with guitar chords and lyrics
• Balancing accompaniment with solo melodic lines
• Adapting recorded grooves and feels to keyboard technique
• Collaborating with vocalists and guitarists from the same score
• Understanding song structure in contemporary pop and rock formats