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 Piano Sheet Music
Many PSR-2000 owners enjoy "playing by ear." Others must rely on sheet music to learn and play songs. There are many different kinds of
sheet music available. If you can play the piano, you may already have plenty of "piano" music available (a popular format for many songbooks). Piano music shows both a treble and bass clef, and what to do with your
right and your left hands. Sometimes, you will see chord notation (not always). The notes played with the left and right hands often combine to produce the chord used in the song. However, piano-style music notation
is not ideal for arranger keyboard players. Fake Books
Knowing chords is critical to playing an arranger keyboard. The right hand plays the melody. The left hand plays the chords (even if only the one-finger variety). So, the music notation should
clearly specify what chord is needed as the melody moves along. "Fake books" provide an excellent form of musical notation for arranger keyboards. Fake Books
are massive collections of songs with a notated melody line, chord symbols, and complete lyrics. These books are the mainstay of professional musicians, and once you've learned how to use a
fake book, you'll enjoy a new level of playing experience. The expression, "fake book," comes from the fact that the music generally shows the melody, chords, and lyrics, but that's all. The
musician has to "fake it" from there. In the case of an arranger keyboard, you have a lot of help. You simply play the correct "chord" and the accompaniment styles provide a lot of "faking" for
you. All you have left to do is to play the melody with your right hand. Finding a Fake Book
You can generally find a fake book in your local music store. You'll also find them in some of the larger bookstores but these books fill a relatively narrow market niche, so you're not likely to find
a large selection of fake books in any one store. Of course, you can always order them from an online supplier (Barnes & Noble or Amazon). The book links generally will take you to Barnes &
Noble. The links on the left-hand side of the page will take you to Amazon if you want to compare prices. Fake books do go out of print. If you check http://www.eBay.comn, you may
find some used bargains. And, of course, don't forget your local LIBRARY. If you've never seen a fake book, you may be able to check one out at the libary and see whether or not these
books are for you. Our Listings
In this section, I have compiled a list of most of the more popular fake books on the market. Hal Leonard publishes most of them. A few are provided by Sher Music and by Warner Music
(shown on a separate page). I have divided the books into various categories to help you find the kind of book that best suits you.
Ultimate -- These fake books are big. The books listed in this group have from
500 to over a 1,000 songs. They are all in a 9 x 12 inch format.
Real Little -- This group mirror many of the books in the Ultimate group, but they are in a small format, generally 6 x 9 inches. Good for "gigs," but bad for weak eyes.
Moderate
-- For want of a better title, I named this group "moderate" based primarily on the number of songs provided. The books listed here contain from 200 - 500 songs and are in a 9 x 12 format.
Jazz Bible -- This group is named after the Jazz Bible Series. Currently three volumes are
available. Each book contains 200 songs, in a 9 x 12 format, with one song per page. The other books listed on this page similar in size containing from 100 to 200 songs in each book.
Chord Changes -- Want to add a newer, more modern feeling to some of your sounds.
Try out these fake books that provide suggested alternative chords you can try on these various popular standards.
Easy Series -- If you are completely new to music and music reading, you may want to
consider starting with one of the books in this Easy Fake Book series. They feature large musical notation, simple melodies and harmonies, and are written in the key of C. Each book contains about
100 songs.
Sher & Warner -- There are also some fake books available from other publishers. This page shows a number of titles from Sher Music Co. and Warner Bros Publications.
Paperback Songs -- These are small, paperback-size, books (4x7 inches). I haven't
actually seen one, so I don't know how they will hold up on a music stand, but they are inexpensive.
How To
-- These books are tutorials that teach you how to play from a fake book.
You'll also find some to help you with sight reading and music in general.
Category Contents
In each category, you'll find a small picture of the book, a brief description, the number of pages, the number of songs the book contains, and the suggested retail price. Hal Leonard Publications
has many fake books available and provides the song list for their books online. Clicking on a link in the "Table of Contents" will take you directly to the corresponding song list (so you can see
what songs are included in the book). Book Purchases
The book picture and the book title are linked to Barnes & Noble, where you can find the B&N price for this volume and order it if you like. I selected B&N because I wanted you to have the
largest selection of fake books available and because their "affiliate" program makes it possible for you to see the Barnes & Noble pictures of the books, book descriptions, and prices. Amazon also
carries fake books, although not as many. There is a general link to Amazon on the side of each page. If you order your book(s) via either of these links, this Tutorial site will get some credit (In
time, I may be able to purchase another fake book or two). |
