I Was Doing All Right: E-Z Play Today

This song showcases the Gershwin brothers at their most elegant and conversational. The melody sits naturally under the hands, making it accessible for developing pianists while maintaining the harmonic sophistication and lyrical grace that made their theater songs timeless.

Warm, introspective, and tinged with gentle humor. The melody moves with conversational ease while the harmonies hint at the chromatic sophistication Gershwin brought to popular song. It feels like a moment of honest reflection set to music.

This arrangement suits pianists building fluency with jazz harmonies and popular song styles, from high school students exploring beyond classical repertoire to adult learners reconnecting with golden age Broadway. It works equally well as a teaching piece or a concert selection.

• Treat the melody as a singer would. Phrase generously and allow time for the words to land even without a vocalist present.
• Balance the accompaniment texture so it supports rather than overwhelms the tune. The harmonies are rich enough to carry the piece if the left hand stays transparent.
• Shape the dynamic arc across the full arc rather than treating it as a series of isolated phrases. The song builds its emotional weight gradually.

Pair this with other Gershwin theater songs for a thematic concert set, or use it as a bridge piece between classical and jazz-influenced styles in a mixed recital. Its modest length and single-page format make it ideal for showing students how Broadway songwriters crafted intimacy within popular forms.

• Interpreting jazz-influenced harmonies on the piano
• Balancing melody and accompaniment texture
• Phrasing popular song material with lyrical sensibility
• Navigating chromatic harmony within a diatonic framework
• Understanding the relationship between words and music in theater song