Laura (Deluxe Edition): Sheet

Laura is one of the most recorded standards in American popular music, and this Deluxe Edition sheet gives pianists and musicians a beautiful printed version of one of the finest melodies ever composed. The piece teaches voice leading, harmonic sophistication, and how to shape a singable tune with genuine elegance.

Elegant and introspective, with a melody that feels both inevitable and surprising. There's a touch of melancholy balanced by warmth, creating music that lingers in memory long after the final note.

Pianists preparing standard repertoire for recital, students working on jazz and popular song interpretation, and musicians who want to understand how great melodies function. It's equally valuable for classical pianists expanding into American songbook material and for jazz musicians developing their understanding of harmonic sophistication in timeless compositions.

• Shape the melody with long, connected phrases rather than breaking it into small units; Raksin wrote this to sing, and even on keyboard it should breathe as a vocal line would.
• Honor the harmonic movement underneath the melody. This isn't a folk tune sitting atop chords; the harmony is integral to the emotional arc.
• Play with rubato that serves the phrase, not arbitrary tempo changes. Let the natural speech rhythm of the melody guide your touch.
• Listen to multiple recordings (vocal and instrumental) to hear how different performers interpret the form and pacing.

Laura works beautifully on recital programs as a standalone piece or as part of a set exploring American songbook standards. Its four-page length makes it an ideal encore or as a bridge between classical and contemporary repertoire in a mixed program.

• Legato phrasing across harmonic changes
• Interpreting rubato within a fixed form
• Understanding voice leading in jazz and popular harmony
• Shaping melodic shape and direction