Kiss The Boys Goodbye: E-Z Play Today

Bright and charming, with the breezy confidence of a 1940s musical comedy. The melody sits comfortably in the hand, inviting a relaxed, conversational approach rather than technical display. There's warmth in this tune, the kind that makes you smile while playing.

Piano students in the early intermediate stages who want to explore American popular music of the 1930s and 1940s. Teachers seeking stylistically appropriate material that opens doors to jazz and musical theater without overwhelming their students with complex fingerings or voicings.

• Pay attention to the left-hand voicings; even simplified arrangements reward clean, even chord work that gives the harmony room to breathe.
• Take time with any tempo markings and dynamics printed in the score; E-Z Play editions include these details specifically to guide musical phrasing.
• Sing through the melody line before playing it. These standards were written for the voice, and pianists who remember that shape their interpretations with better lyrical flow.

Pair this with other standards from the same era to build a short suite exploring American songwriting. It works beautifully in casual recitals or studio showcases where you want students to connect with material that has real cultural history. Consider programming it alongside more contemporary pieces to show students how melody and harmony have remained central to music making across generations.

• Reading standard notation with chord symbols
• Voicing triads and seventh chords in jazz idiom
• Legato pedaling in a popular music context
• Phrasing melodies with lyrical sensitivity
• Interpreting tempo and dynamic markings in standards