E.R. (Main Theme): Piano/Vocal/Chords

This collection lets you teach iconic television themes through the lens of a single major composer. Howard's melodies are singable and memorable, his harmonic progressions are clear enough for students to understand chord function, and the piano/vocal format makes these themes accessible to singers, pianists, and anyone learning to read lead sheets. Rather than scattering theme songs across multiple books, you can build a unit around how one composer shapes the sound of television.

These themes carry the emotional weight of their source material: some are bright and comedic, others dramatic and urgent. As written piano/vocal arrangements, they retain their signature hooks while inviting personal interpretation through accompaniment choices and vocal inflection.

Pianists and vocalists preparing material for recitals, auditions, or casual performance will find solid, recognizable repertoire here. Music students studying composition, arranging, or television music can use these scores as models for how themes are constructed and harmonized.

• Study the chord symbols before playing to understand the harmonic movement; Howard often uses unexpected substitutions that reward close reading.
• Sing the melody while playing the chord progression to internalize how melody and harmony interact in theme writing.
• Record yourself playing the accompaniment, then sing the melody over it to develop independence between hands or between voice and keyboard.

Select a few Howard themes to create a "Television Themes" segment in a recital or showcase, pairing them with non-soundtrack material to demonstrate genre range. For piano students, theme songs offer shorter, highly motivating pieces alongside more traditional classical repertoire.

• Reading and interpreting chord symbols (both basic triads and extended chords)
• Connecting melody to harmonic function in popular music contexts
• Sight-reading lead sheets with professional chord notation
• Singing or playing in a style that balances pop/television idiom with musical intention