Easy To Be Hard: Piano Vocal

Introspective yet rhythmically grounded, with that particular Broadway-meets-soul quality that makes you sit slightly forward in your chair. The song balances cynicism and tenderness, asking difficult questions while the music suggests acceptance rather than agitation.

Pianists and singers preparing for auditions, recitals, or concert programs that need a standard from the jazz-pop-rock-theater crossover world. This works for intermediate to advanced vocalists comfortable with contemporary idioms and pianists looking for repertoire that sounds polished without requiring extensive arrangement work.

• Nail the rhythmic pocket. Easy To Be Hard lives in the spaces between strict time and swing feel; lock the piano accompaniment with your drummer if you're in a band setting, or use a metronome to find where the laid-back groove actually sits.
• Shape the vocal phrasing around the lyrical content rather than melodic symmetry. The emotional weight of this song depends on where you breathe and how you color each phrase.
• Balance the dynamics carefully in the verses. The arrangement can easily overshadow the singer if the piano plays too forcefully; use restraint to let the words land.

Slot this into a recital that mixes genres or include it in a jazz combo concert where you want to feature a vocalist. It also serves as an excellent audition piece for college music programs seeking singers with versatility across musical theater and contemporary styles.

• Legit belt technique with authentic phrasing
• Rhythmic flexibility between straight time and swung feel
• Interpretive choices driven by lyrical meaning
• Piano voicing and accompaniment sensitivity
• Collaboration between vocalist and pianist