Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree (With Anyone Else But Me): Piano/Vocal/Chords

This collection hands you 20 of the most recognizable standards in accessible arrangements, complete with chord symbols for guitarists and full lyrics. You get authentic Great American Songbook material without needing to hunt through multiple sources or negotiate complex licenses for performance.

These songs carry the elegance and ease of mid-century American entertainment. They swing with understated confidence, marry conversational lyrics to sophisticated harmonies, and invite performers to inhabit a world where melody, charm, and musicianship are inseparable.

Singers and pianists in jazz ensembles, show choirs, and vocal studios who want authentic standards arrangements with reliable chord notation for guitarists. This collection also serves accompanying pianists looking for repertoire that audiences love and that doesn't require extensive preparation.

• Study the chord symbols as harmonic landmarks, not just accompaniment notation. They often reveal the song's harmonic movement and help you understand voice leading choices the arranger made.
• Balance the vocal line against the piano part by listening to how the accompaniment supports rather than competes with the melody. The standards in this folio reward collaborative listening between singer and accompanist.
• Use the full lyrics to shape phrasing and dynamics. These songs tell stories; let the text guide your interpretation of where to breathe, push, and pull back.
• For guitarists: treat the chord symbols as starting points for your own comping style. Jazz voicings, walking bass patterns, and rhythmic feels vary by era and arrangement, so experiment within the harmonic framework.

Build a standards showcase concert around 4-5 of these titles, mixing uptempo numbers like "Take Five" and "Straighten Up and Fly Right" with slower ballads such as "Misty" and "Laura" for musical variety. You can also weave individual standards into a jazz or cabaret program, or use them as audition and juries repertoire for voice and piano students developing interpretive maturity.

• Reading chord symbols and understanding functional harmony in jazz and popular music contexts
• Interpreting and phrasing lyrics with attention to story, character, and emotional arc
• Balancing vocal line with piano/guitar accompaniment in ensemble settings
• Recognizing and performing stylistic conventions of swing-era and mid-century American song
• Collaborating between singer, pianist, and guitarist using lead sheet notation