Summertime Blues: E-Z Play Today

Cochran's arrangement captures the infectious swagger of early rock and roll in a form that piano students can actually execute and enjoy. The three-page length keeps it approachable while maintaining enough rhythmic interest and harmonic movement to keep intermediate players engaged.

Restless energy packed into three minutes. There's a defiant, almost impudent quality to the melody that makes sitting at the piano feel less like work and more like participating in something genuinely cool. The rhythm bounces and won't let you settle.

Intermediate piano students hungry for something that sounds and feels contemporary. Teachers looking to bridge classical study with the repertoire their students actually want to play will find this a valuable motivator.

• Keep the left hand steady and propulsive. The rhythm section pulse is what drives this tune forward, so lock into a consistent groove rather than rushing.
• Lean into the blues inflections and bent notes where notation allows. This isn't classical precision; it's about attitude and feel.
• Balance the melody so it sits above the accompaniment without disappearing. Young pianists often bury the tune when learning arrangement-based pieces.

Pair this with other rock standards in a casual concert or coffee house setting. It works especially well when you want to showcase student versatility beyond the classical canon, or as a fun warm-up piece that gets students energized during rehearsals.

• Rhythmic independence between hands (steady accompaniment against syncopated melody)
• Blues phrasing and interpretation beyond written notation
• Reading and executing eighth-note rhythms with consistent swing feel
• Left-hand comping patterns typical of rock and roll piano
• Dynamic control to keep melody audible over active accompaniment