Free Jazz Standard Sheet Music Downloads

"I Can't Get Started" was composed in 1936 by Vernon Duke, the Russian-born songwriter, with lyrics by Ira Gershwin. It was introduced in the Ziegfeld Follies of 1936 by Bob Hope and Eve Arden, though it initially had only modest sheet music sales.

A 32-bar AABA ballad typically performed in C major, the song tells the ironic tale of a man who has achieved extraordinary fame — flying around the world, settling revolutions — yet cannot win the heart of the woman he desires. The harmony features a standard I-vi-ii7-V7 cycle in the A sections, with chromatic modulations in the bridge that add sophistication. The melody spans over an octave and a fourth, with soaring ascending phrases that make it a particularly rewarding vehicle for trumpet players. Its wide range and lyrical phrasing allow for dramatic, expressive performances in both ballad and moderate swing tempos.

Bunny Berigan's legendary 1937 recording for Victor became his lifelong theme song. His virtuosic trumpet performance — ranging from the instrument's lowest register to the stratosphere — was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1975 and remains the gold standard for this timeless ballad.