More Than Anyone: Piano/Vocal/Chords

This collection gives pianists and guitarists access to DeGraw's catalog on their own terms, with six tracks from Sweeter and two from Free appearing in print for the first time. The mix of radio hits and deeper album tracks means your students encounter genuine songwriting craft, not just familiar hooks, making this a genuinely rewarding choice for recitals and student repertoire.

Honest and emotionally direct. DeGraw's songs balance vulnerability with rhythmic confidence, creating arrangements that feel both intimate and propulsive. Whether tackling a ballad or a groove-driven track, performers encounter melodic sophistication paired with accessible harmonic language.

Pianists, guitarists, and singers who want to perform DeGraw's work in recitals, coffeehouse settings, or ensemble contexts. This collection serves intermediate to advanced students with a genuine interest in contemporary pop-rock songwriting and artists who shaped the 2000s music landscape.

• Study DeGraw's original recordings to absorb the rhythmic pocket and vocal phrasing; his piano parts often lock into groove-oriented accompaniments rather than strictly classical voicings.
• Balance the chord symbols with the staff notation. Guitar players should experiment with fingering patterns that maintain the intended rhythmic feel, especially in pieces driven by syncopation.
• When learning vocally, pay attention to where DeGraw's melodies sit outside traditional song expectations. His phrasing often stretches across bar lines, so mark those moments to avoid forcing lyrics into square phrases.
• Pianists should prioritize the rhythmic foundation over dense left-hand voicings; many of these arrangements work best when the groove stays crisp and the harmony supports the vocal line clearly.

Feature these as solo recital pieces across multiple student performers, or build a thematic program around contemporary songwriters who blend classical training with pop sensibility. The range of tempos and moods within the collection means you can program contrasting sets without losing stylistic cohesion.

• Reading and performing chord symbols in pop-rock contexts
• Interpreting vocal phrasing that extends across barlines
• Balancing melodic clarity with rhythmic groove in accompaniment
• Translating arrangement notation across different instruments (piano to guitar voicings)
• Understanding contemporary song structure and harmonic progression