Teach Me Tonight: E-Z Play Today

This E-Z Play arrangement opens up a genuine jazz standard to pianists who might otherwise skip over it. The three-page layout respects the song's sophistication while keeping the technical demands reasonable, making it ideal for students ready to explore the songbook without overwhelming technique.

Sophisticated but approachable. There's an inherent elegance in this melody that the arrangement honors without pretension. It feels like stepping into a room where grown-up music is being made.

Piano students who have moved beyond elementary method books and are ready to tackle actual standards from the jazz tradition. This works equally well for classical pianists exploring the jazz repertoire or jazz students building their fluency with the Great American Songbook.

• Pay attention to the rhythmic syncopation in the accompaniment; the swing feel depends on your precision with the offbeat accents rather than rushing through them.
• Let the melody breathe during sustained notes. This isn't a piece to fill every measure with chatter.
• Use the chord symbols to experiment with comping between what's written and your own interpretations once you've learned the tune solid.

Pair this with other standards at a similar level for a recital that showcases stylistic range, or use it as a gateway piece for students studying jazz history and the vocalists who shaped the tradition. It also works well as a solo feature in a more casual performance setting where straightforward musicianship reads louder than technical flash.

• reading and executing swing rhythms
• interpreting jazz chord symbols and their harmonic implications
• balancing melody and accompaniment in a jazz context
• voice leading and smooth harmonic transitions
• phrasing and rubato in a standards-based arrangement