One Less Set Of Footsteps: E-Z Play Today

This tune gives pianists a genuine folk-pop standard without the technical barriers that often make "classic rock" arrangements frustrating at beginner levels. The E-Z Play format respects the song's essential character while keeping page turns and hand position manageable.

Warm and reflective, with the unhurried quality of a song told over coffee. The arrangement preserves Croce's conversational tone even as it simplifies the fingerpicking texture.

This works well for beginning to early intermediate pianists seeking material beyond method book exercises. It's equally valuable for guitarists or singers who want a piano reduction for rehearsal, or for students exploring how a fingerstyle guitar song translates to keyboard.

• Let the fingerpicking pattern emerge from the accompaniment texture rather than fighting against it. If the arrangement includes a steady rhythmic foundation, use that as an anchor for rubato in the melody line.
• Pay attention to lyrical phrasing even in an instrumental setting. The song's narrative quality means phrase endings benefit from slight breathing space.
• Balance the vocal melody (if present) against supportive accompaniment rather than playing everything at equal dynamic weight.

Pair this with other singer-songwriter standards in a contemporary folk ensemble or as a bridge piece between classical and pop repertoire in a recital. It also serves well as a vehicle for teaching students to accompany vocalist colleagues.

• Maintaining steady accompaniment patterns while shaping melodic phrasing
• Voice leading between chord changes in folk-influenced progressions
• Balancing texture and dynamics across multiple layers of the arrangement