Lead Sheets (Fake Books) - Advice Wanted

[Dave The Rave]

I decided recently to expand my repertoire so that I can respond to "Do you know xyz...?" requests by playing the tune instead of apologizing for not knowing it.

 

I bought some very fat "Fake Books" one with standards and two with Jazz. They have a ton of nice tunes/songs in them.

 

I'm going to get stuck in and learn my friends and family's favorites right away.

 

Do any of you experts/professional players have any useful hints or tips for me as I embark on this learning experience? Any secrets to help me out and enable me to sound fantastic with minimal effort? Arpeggios, twiddly bits, bass line - all good ideas appreciated. Any learning or playing traps I should look out for?

 

All help gratefully received!

 

Thanks,

DTR

[Dave Horne]

My advice would be to take the songs you want to learn and rewrite them yourself with better chord changes. This comes in handy for the bass player.

 

I've created my own set of fake books using a well known music notation software program. I walk in on a job and throw my book (literally) at the bass player and am guaranteed that he will play decent chords to the tunes I call.

 

You've now taken tunes and made them a little more personal.

[burlingame2]

That is a generous portion of work you have alotted yourself. With songs widespread and possibly well known, seems any extra effort can only help. Having a familiarity with the melody gives a tremendous start for your playing. Instead of relying completely on notation, your knowledge of the tune can make up for remembering the exact form (should you momentarily lose your place in a tune). I think there are many benefits in being familiar with the tune...The lack of tension transfers to a sense of well being to the listener, and perhaps more solid comping or soloing from the players.

 

I guess the only negative, is to innundate a gig with so many unfamiliar pieces that all the performers are so reliant on the fake book as to give the effect of playing to their instrument stands. Which is not to say a lively performance can be determined just by standing as far from their instruments while hitting the notes.

[Mark Zeger]

Many fake books, especially "The Real Books", don't include lyrics. Knowing the lyrics and hearing them well sung is a great foundation for developing your own phrasing. I'd suggest buying CDs of singers performing standards. Start with Sinatra, Bennett, Fitzgerald, and Sarah Vaughn.

[Rod S]

Originally posted by Dave Horne:

My advice would be to take the songs you want to learn and rewrite them yourself with better chord changes. This comes in handy for the bass player.

 

I've created my own set of fake books using a well known music notation software program. I walk in on a job and throw my book (literally) at the bass player and am guaranteed that he will play decent chords to the tunes I call.

I'm with Dave on this one - I'm building up my own. I usually start with a fake sheet but then adapt to make my own. Forces me to go through the songs a few times to make sure I'm at least familiar with them.

 

What I do (for rock/pop songs) is to do something similar to the typical lyrics / chord type of tab, but I structure it in a way that the chord changes look symmetrical on the paper, plus I add comments on intros, solos and stuff like that. I make sure this fits on 2 pieces of paper so I can open the book in front of the piano and get a 'mental' picture of the whole song.

 

I used to hate these type of tabs, but once I started structuring it a different way I can follow it better than just a plain chord chart.

 

The next page I'll have actual music sheet with details that I may forget if I haven't played the song in a while. I can glance it before the song starts to remind myself.

 

A lot of this doesn't apply to Jazz, just my 2 cents about what I do.

[Pat Azzarello]

Early on I learned how to play off a lead sheet using a technique by a guy named Alan Swain (Evanston, Illinois). Years later I took lessons from him at DePaul University.

 

It's a simple approach that has always served me well when playing solo piano off a lead sheet. To be clear, it is for playing solo piano, not necessarily soloing on piano.

 

In the left hand, play the root, 5th and 7th. Avoid using the third in the left hand as it will be too muddy (esp with the 5th and 7th there).

 

In the right hand, you would play the melody on top with the third, double the 7th, and play any extensions as well (9, 11, 13) below it. A couple of chords below:

 

C9 C7+5 Gmaj9

Mel Mel Mel

Bb Bb

E F#

D E B

 

Bb Bb F#

G G# D

C C G

 

Two other rules:

 

Play only the root and 5th in the left hand below the E below the bass clef staff. This keeps it from getting muddy.

 

Keep away from b9 intervals. Playing a G7(b9) is more dissonant in the first example below than the second, where the interval is a maj 7.

 

B Bb

F F

Bb B

 

F F

D D

G G

 

I wasn't able to find his books online, but that doesn't mean you won't find them through either the Northwestern or DePaul University bookstores.

[SFOracle]

I also make my own leadsheets using a notation program. As others have mentioned, the Real Book charts lack lyrics - which for me serve as crucial reminders of where in the song I am. I also like to fully notate certain hooks and turn-arounds that are essential in capturing the "as remembered" version of popular tunes. That doesn't mean that I play these as notated, but it gives me a base from which to improvise around.

[Tom Fiala]

Agree with previous posters - having your own personally-assembled book is the way to go, IMO. I have a thick binder of pop songs, requests, and odd-ball pieces that I pull out as necessary. There are little notes on synth settings, and fills, solos and tempos for most of the stuff in there. I initially started with guitar tabs off the web, then transcribed the solos off the CD by ear as best I could. This has worked out well for me; plus the exercise of doing the transcription really gets the material into your brain!

[Dave The Rave]

Thanks for all your advice people. I plan to extract the stuff I like from the books, with chord modifications of my own and twiddly bits/segues etc. and transcribe it all to a much smaller manuscript book that I can carry with me more easily.

 

Special thanks to PatAzz for the great practical advice which I will be sure to follow - that was exactly the kind of input I was looking for Pat!

 

Cheers,

DTR

[burlingame2]

I can only attempt to relate an experience with a singer. I had indeed taken much of the responsability for the selection of pieces, keys, etc. Also a relatively short amount of time until the show led to some demanding rehearsals to acheive what we wanted. Well, I realize most of us are refering to a situation that doesn`t strain a persons vocal cords the way this did. After understanding the onerous on this singer (many months after the fact), I was upset at my part in making so many of the decisions, which were well received, but nevertheless the damage of nodes and such was avoidable. Certainly a dubious aspect of my qualities of leadership. As I say, the situation doesn`t fit the original premise. Did make me think on it again.

[sudeep]

Originally posted by PatAzz:

Early on I learned how to play off a lead sheet using a technique by a guy named Alan Swain (Evanston, Illinois). Years later I took lessons from him at DePaul University.

 

It's a simple approach that has always served me well when playing solo piano off a lead sheet. To be clear, it is for playing solo piano, not necessarily soloing on piano.

 

In the left hand, play the root, 5th and 7th. Avoid using the third in the left hand as it will be too muddy (esp with the 5th and 7th there).

 

In the right hand, you would play the melody on top with the third, double the 7th, and play any extensions as well (9, 11, 13) below it. A couple of chords below:

 

C9 C7+5 Gmaj9

Mel Mel Mel

Bb Bb

E F#

D E B

 

Bb Bb F#

G G# D

C C G

 

Two other rules:

 

Play only the root and 5th in the left hand below the E below the bass clef staff. This keeps it from getting muddy.

 

Keep away from b9 intervals. Playing a G7(b9) is more dissonant in the first example below than the second, where the interval is a maj 7.

 

B Bb

F F

Bb B

 

F F

D D

G G

 

I wasn't able to find his books online, but that doesn't mean you won't find them through either the Northwestern or DePaul University bookstores.

hey there...i am trying this approach now to the tune "the way you look tonight". I have come across F6,what do you do with 6 chords? Would you play R-5-6 ? Doesnt sound right.

[Rod S]

Originally posted by sudeep_rao@hotmail.com.hey there...i am trying this approach now to the tune "the way you look tonight". I have come across F6,what do you do with 6 chords? Would you play R-5-6 ? Doesnt sound right.

I tend to throw a lot of 9s in my playing for ballads.

 

I would try a 1-5 in the left hand

3-6-9 on the right.

(I like the sound of stacked 4ths)

 

Or just make that top 9th the root also, I guess - I would have to see how it sounds.

 

You also have to see what the singer is doing - Are you playing solo or accompaning a singer? The top note may be dictated by what the singer is doing, if s/he is hitting a note when that chord is played.

[Byrdman]

Originally posted by sudeep_rao@hotmail.com:

Originally posted by PatAzz:

[qb] I have come across F6,what do you do with 6 chords? .

Could be a mis-spelling for Dm7 perhaps Dm7/F. The fake books I have love to spell some perfectly ordinary ii7 chord as a 6 chord.

 

So, for example: something that started life as G7/B Am7/C Dm7 G7 which is a perfectly ordinary sequence will get notated G7 C6 Dm7 G7. I guess one should be thankful the first chord did not get written Bm(b5)(b6)

[sudeep]

yeah i am a bit stumped by this 6 chord (i am using the New Real Fake book)...Rod, I am a little confused (my jazz harmonic knowledge isnt great).A 6-chord would essentially have the same harmonic function as a 7th right? So the voicing you mention R-5 3-6-9, makes it a 6/9 chord which has the same harmonic function as a Maj7 chord (doesnt it?).

[petros]

I could write a book on this subject.

The main point I want to make now is be able to rephrase the rhythm of the melody. Oten times melodies are written in basi quarter notes and eighth notes, which if you play it as written, makes for a very unprofessional and boring phrasing.

 

Making your own chord arrangements and all is great for your favorite tunes but can be more work than it is worth and often won't fit with the changes other players use on the same tune.

 

I disagree with the solo piano method mentioned above where you are stuck playing the Root 5th and 7th and never a third. That goes against the extremely useful Bebop piano system of the playing left hand "claw" . The "claw" is good at all tempos and the right hand thumb can get into the act too playing the 3rd or 7th. (2+2= Root on the bottom, right and left thumbs on either the 3rd or 7th, melody on top)

[Steve Trytten]

Any suggestions on the following: I use a notation program (Allegro) to prepare arrangements for an 8 piece jazz group (4 horns), and I'd like for everyone to see the chords but I'm too lazy to enter them in on each staff. So I end up printing sheets that show two staves for each horn, one with the part for the horn, and the other with the chords. There's gotta be an easier way. Also, anyone know any good reference books on the ins and outs of making good charts?

[petros]

I am an arranger and I know that horn players want to see one stave with the chord names above in a large bold font. I think "Arial" font in bold works best.

For example when printing C7

I use font size 18 for the chord letter name

C

And a smaller size font for the rest of the symbol

7 (size 12 font)

Sometimes I get even smaller for altered notes like b9 and do them in font size 10.

[moj]

To all:

 

I'd like to know if you have a good method for transposing a song for a singer when performing? I mean to transpose "on the spot" when a singer wants another key other than the key you play.

Thanks.

[Byrdman]

Originally posted by MoJazz:

To all:

 

I'd like to know if you have a good method for transposing a song for a singer when performing? I mean to transpose "on the spot" when a singer wants another key other than the key you play.

Thanks.

Learn the chords using the key independent notation.

 

I-iii-VI-ii-V instead of C Em A Dm G

 

You need to practice finding the chords corresponding to the notation for each key, but you can learn that once for each key.

 

This actually makes life simpler since many songs will turn out to have the same chord structure using this notation.

[petros]

That's correct, I agree with Byrdman.

[freelance]

I agree completely with Byrdman - every player I've worked with who had any amount of experiance understood this system (often referred to as the "Nashville number system" - used by studio musicians everywhere).

 

Useing the most basic example - if you know a 4 chord song in C (C-AM-F-G) and you need to do it in A - a very simple statement like "One, six, four, five in A" should cue everyone.

[moj]

Thanks for the tips on transposing. I'll start using the "Nashville" system.

 

I once had a singer who wanted me to transpose "Skylark" a 1/2 step down at a gig. I told her "Don't make me think so much" and took a break.

[Rod S]

Originally posted by MoJazz:

I once had a singer who wanted me to transpose "Skylark" a 1/2 step down at a gig. I told her "Don't make me think so much" and took a break.

I hate transposing on the fly.. I can usually pull it through, but they too much on my concentration goes on getting the chord changes right and not enough on getting it to sound good.

 

I was once handed a tab for a song that had 3-4 different keys in there (whoever used that tab before with the singer probably kept rewriting the chords for the whole song everytime the singer asked for a different key).. except they were all done in the same color, same handwriting. That took a little concentration to get the right chords...

[Cezar20]

Transposing on the fly.. that's so simple... As simple as hitting the plus and minus transpose buttons to your and the singers content. Ha, my inability to transpose, exposed.

[Byrdman]

Originally posted by MoJazz:

Thanks for the tips on transposing. I'll start using the "Nashville" system.

 

I once had a singer who wanted me to transpose "Skylark" a 1/2 step down at a gig. I told her "Don't make me think so much" and took a break.

Nashville system is just one version of teh notation that uses arabic numerals (1 2 etc) rather than Roman Numerals for the chords. The Roman Numeral system is several hundred years old. In Baroque music the harpsichord player was expected to be able to improvise from a "figured bass", which was a bass line together with the chord symbols.

 

Classical musicians use lower case for minor and upper for major. You will also see all upper case with minor indicated by an m (IIm) or a minus (II- - not to be confused with -II which (in C) is a Db (major) chord not a Dm chord).

 

There are a number of variations in use. Once you have the basics the variations are not too hard to learn.