Play That Tune, Book 2: Piano Book

Warm and grounded. These are songs that belong in living rooms and classrooms, not concert halls. There's something deeply satisfying about playing a melody you recognize while singing it at the same time, and these arrangements respect that intimacy.

Early intermediate pianists ready to combine singing and playing, and teachers who want their students to build confidence through familiar repertoire. This book works especially well for students developing coordination between melody and accompaniment, or for classroom settings where singing and piano playing are both valued.

• Encourage singers to maintain steady breath support through the longer phrases, especially in 'Home on the Range' and 'Auld Lang Syne,' so the melody stays legible above the accompaniment.
• Keep the tempo conversational, not rushed. These songs have storytelling in them, and letting each phrase breathe makes the arrangement feel less like an exercise and more like music.
• Balance the hands carefully in the middle register. The melody should lead naturally, but the left-hand chords need enough presence to feel like true accompaniment rather than filler.

Scatter these throughout a recital program to give singers a chance to accompany themselves, or use them as bridges between more formal solo pieces. The variety of styles and moods makes this book useful for student recitals where mixed programming is already a goal.

• Coordinating melody and accompaniment without sacrificing either line
• Reading simple left-hand chord patterns and single-note bass lines
• Maintaining steady tempo while singing and playing simultaneously
• Singing in tune while managing hand independence
• Recognizing harmonic progressions in accessible keys