Struttin' Cool: Piano Sheet

Tingley brings a composer's ear for melody and harmonic color to intermediate repertoire without sacrificing technical interest. The title alone signals what's coming—a piece with attitude and swagger—and he delivers exactly that: engaging rhythmic figures, accessible harmonies, and the kind of character that keeps students motivated to practice.

Struttin' Cool channels the kind of easy sophistication you hear in jazz standards and contemporary pop—rhythmically grounded, harmonically interesting, and unapologetically cool. There's swagger here, but no pretension; it feels like something a confident pianist would choose to play.

Intermediate pianists ready to play with attitude and contemporary sensibility. This piece works equally well for students exploring jazz-influenced idioms and those building confidence in performance repertoire that sounds more advanced than it reads.

• Establish a clear groove from the opening. The rhythmic identity of this piece drives its appeal, so lock in the tempo and let the pulse sit confidently in your body before worrying about dynamics.
• Shape the melodic lines with gentle color and direction rather than aggressive accents. The "cool" in the title comes from understatement, not force.
• Listen for harmonic movement beneath surface patterns. Tingley layers his chord progressions thoughtfully, and tracing them gives the piece depth beyond its swagger.

Program this in a recital or student showcase to give your intermediate students a piece with immediate appeal to an audience. It pairs well with more lyrical repertoire, providing contrast and showing range. The four-page length also makes it manageable for spring recitals or informal student performances.

• Rhythmic precision and groove in contemporary idioms
• Reading and executing syncopated rhythmic figures
• Phrasing and dynamics to shape melodic lines in a jazz-influenced context
• Harmonic awareness through listening beneath surface patterns
• Confident performance presence and musical communication