Let's Call The Whole Thing Off (from Shall We Dance): E-Z Play Today

This arrangement captures the playful spirit of the original without overwhelming pianists still building their jazz vocabulary. The three-page length makes it accessible for students progressing through standards, and the E-Z Play format keeps the focus on interpreting the melody and navigating the harmonic movement rather than wrestling with dense notation.

Witty and urbane, with a lightness that belies the sophisticated harmonies underneath. The melody dances across the page with the charm of two people who genuinely enjoy their disagreement, while the accompaniment swings with quiet sophistication and jazz sensibility.

Piano students transitioning from classical technique into jazz and standards repertoire will find this a rewarding entry point. Teachers looking for approachable Broadway material that still requires genuine musicianship will appreciate how the E-Z Play format removes notation obstacles without simplifying the harmonic content.

• Find the conversational rhythm in the melody. The Gershwin brothers designed this piece to feel like a debate set to music, so let the phrasing breathe between the "tomayto, tomahto" exchanges rather than rushing through.
• Shape the accompanimental figures to sit behind the vocal melody. If a singer joins you, the piano supports rather than competes; if you're playing solo, those rhythmic figures become your dialogue partners.
• Lean into the jazz sensibility of the harmonies. This isn't classical restraint; Gershwin's changes invite you to voice them with color and personality, so experiment with how you voice the seventh and ninth chords.
• Keep the tempo conversational and light. The piece works best when it feels like two people genuinely discussing their disagreement, not like you're rushing to settle it.

This works beautifully in a jazz or standards showcase, either as a solo piano piece or accompanying a vocalist. It's also an excellent teaching tool for a recital built around Broadway composers, where you can program it alongside other Gershwin works or pair it with similar-era standards to show the breadth of American songwriting.

• Reading and interpreting jazz chord symbols
• Voicing seventh and ninth chords with color
• Accompanying singers with sensitivity to the melody line
• Developing conversational phrasing and rhythmic independence
• Navigating walking bass figures and syncopated accompaniments