I Can't Get Started (from Ziegfeld Follies): E-Z Play Today

The E-Z Play format opens this standard to pianists who might otherwise skip it, yet the tune's harmonic richness and syncopated phrasing keep things musically substantial. It's a perfect bridge repertoire piece: approachable enough for intermediate players, but with enough jazz vocabulary to feel genuinely cool in performance.

Sophisticated and romantic with an underlying melancholy. The song carries the bittersweet quality of unrequited longing, punctuated by moments of witty defiance. There's elegance in the phrasing, and a sense of intimate connection that invites the listener into a personal confession.

Piano students ready to explore jazz standards but not yet comfortable with lead sheets or complex improvisation. Pianists working on cabaret repertoire or looking to expand beyond classical material will find this a rewarding addition to their performing library.

• Treat the syncopation as conversational rather than rigid. The song breathes, so give yourself room to lean into certain phrases without forcing the tempo.
• The chromatic movements in the harmony are what make this tune sing. Voice your chords to highlight these shifts rather than playing them as background accompaniment.
• Establish a light swing feel if you're playing solo; if accompanying a vocalist or instrumentalist, listen to how they're phrasing and follow their lead on the rubato.
• Work the dynamics. This song moves between wistful vulnerability and confident swagger, so let those emotional shifts show in your touch and sound.

Slot this into a jazz or American standards recital to give pianists a chance to shine on familiar material. It also works beautifully as a solo or duet in a musical theater context, or as a bridge between classical and contemporary repertoire in a general music program.

• Reading and executing syncopated rhythmic figures in a jazz context
• Voicing jazz harmonies and understanding chromatic voice leading
• Interpreting rubato and phrasing in a lyrical, song-like style
• Accompanying a vocalist or soloist with sensitivity to their interpretation