What'll I Do? (from Music Box Revue of 1924): E-Z Play Today

This E-Z Play arrangement makes one of Berlin's most affecting ballads accessible to pianists still developing their interpretive chops. The two-page format respects the song's unhurried emotional arc while keeping technical demands reasonable, letting students focus on phrasing, dynamic control, and the rubato that gives this standard its tender quality.

A quiet confession set to music. The melody unfolds without urgency, and the harmonies shift with subtle melancholy. This is a song for those moments when longing and resignation occupy the same breath.

This arrangement suits intermediate pianists discovering the American songbook and anyone preparing a jazz or standards recital. It's also valuable for music theory classes exploring early 20th-century harmonic language and song form.

• Shape the melody with genuine legato rather than mechanically connecting notes; Berlin wrote singable lines meant to breathe like a vocalist would
• Treat the harmony with enough time that listeners hear the chord changes rather than rush past them
• Find the sweet spot between wistful and sentimental; restraint serves this song better than emotional overstatement

Pair this with other 1920s standards to create a thematic concert set, or feature it as an intimate solo piece that contrasts with more energetic jazz selections. It works equally well as a studio recording project or a recital opener that establishes a reflective mood.

• Shaping long-lined melodies with intentional phrasing across multiple measures
• Interpreting jazz harmony and understanding chord extensions common to early standards
• Managing tempo flexibility and rubato within a formal song structure
• Accompanying a vocal line (whether sung by the student or imagined) rather than playing notes in isolation