What Is This Thing Called Love? Sheet Music Preview

What Is This Thing Called Love?: E-Z Play Today

As performed by Frank Sinatra

Item: 35-DS00450580

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Additional Details
Publisher: Hal Leonard
Page Count: 2
SKU: 35-DS00450580

More about this title

About the Artist: Frank Sinatra

Frank Sinatra redefined American popular song through impeccable phrasing, interpretive depth, and an instinctive understanding of how melody and lyric intertwine. His influence on jazz singing and standards repertoire remains foundational to music education, offering singers and pianists alike a masterclass in artistry, swing, and emotional authenticity.

For music teachers and students, Sinatra's work provides essential study material in jazz interpretation, rubato, and the art of accompanying vocals. His recordings and arrangements demonstrate how to shape a phrase, navigate complex harmonies, and communicate lyrics with precision and warmth.

Why we love this

This Cole Porter standard sits at the heart of the jazz repertoire, and having it in E-Z Play Today format makes it accessible to pianists building their standards vocabulary. The straightforward presentation lets musicians focus on the interpretive work that makes this song sing, without wrestling with overly dense notation.

What to expect

Wistful and philosophical, with an undercurrent of swing. The melody floats over sophisticated harmony that invites curiosity about Porter's compositional choices, while the lyrical content gives performers room to express a range of emotional colors, from playful to introspective.

Who it's for

Jazz pianists developing fluency with essential standards, vocalists seeking an easy-to-read lead sheet version for practice and performance, and students exploring the Great American Songbook as part of jazz or popular music studies.

How to get the most out of it

  • Lean into the rubato that suits the lyric and harmonic movement; this tune rewards flexibility over strict metronomic time, especially in the bridge
  • Support a vocalist by listening carefully to their phrasing and leaving space rather than filling every beat; the accompaniment should breathe with the soloist
  • Highlight the chromatic voice leading and chord color changes that make Porter's harmony distinctive, letting each change land without rushing past it
  • Shape the dynamic arc across the whole form; avoid playing at one dynamic level throughout, even in a standards setting

How to use it

Pair this with other Cole Porter standards or 1930s jazz standards in a cabaret-style concert, or feature it as a jazz combo number with rhythm section accompaniment. It also serves well as a vocal masterclass example when teaching interpretation and the relationship between melody and harmony.

Skills your students will build

  • Reading lead sheet notation and chord symbols
  • Interpreting rubato and swing feel in a standards context
  • Understanding Jazz Age harmony and chromatic voice leading
  • Accompanying vocalists with sensitivity to phrasing and dynamics
  • Building familiarity with the Great American Songbook

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