[MysticalMatt517]

I was in Columbus OH today and noticed a Lifeway Christian store. I wasn't in a hurry so I stopped off to see what they had. After spending a little time looking for the guitar books, the friendly clerk helped me find this book, "The Praise and Worship Fake Book"

http://www.worshipmusic.com/4575707147.html

I've got to say it's really awesome. There's over 500 songs in it, and most of them are really good! It has a melody line along with chord listings and lyrics. I was really pleased to find a number of modern worship songs in there along with chords for some of the older hymns. This is REALLY GREAT for the transition that our church is taking right now.

It costs $50, but it's worth every penny! I would highly reccomend you check it out if you haven't already!

[billy_brown]

i have it

[Casey]

Fake Book? I don't get it....

Case

[billy_brown]

its called a fake book because it doesnt have real sheet music in it. it has chords and the melody line and the lyrics and thats all. get it FAKE book, FAKE music

[CheshireCat]

Originally Posted by Case

Fake Book? I don't get it....

Originally Posted by billy_brown

its called a fake book because it doesnt have real sheet music in it. it has chords and the melody line and the lyrics and thats all. get it FAKE book, FAKE music

Well, not exactly.

Basically, early popular music was a lot like show tunes and some Jazz Standards, which worked off of common, popular song forms with perhaps only the melody and the lyrics being different.

Well, as a working musician, such as a lounge singer, you were responsible for taking requests and had to be ready play anything thrown at you in terms of what the customers and patrons wanted. Because of this, it was important for you to have a very wide repetoire or array of songs to work with.

However, on occassion, a patron would request a song that you didn't know, so you would have to fake it . . . that is, to say, fake like you know how to play a song that you don't really know how to play.

So, while you were ostensibly digging thru your "sheet music" for that song, you pull out your trusty "fake book" (get the connotation?) and open to that particular entry. As Billy pointed out, it isn't the actual note-for-note transcription of the song, but rather just a thumbnail sketch of it, and nothing more.

However, if you are good at sightreading and sightsinging, you know the popular styles, and have a good command of harmony and accompaniement, then you could actually fake your way thru that song and play it, and while it wouldn't necessarily be the greatest rendition of the song, the patron usually ends up happy and buys another round of drinks, and you are off and running to your next standard that you do know.

That's how a Fake Book works, and if you are playing Jazz where everything is improvised and you are playing off of that basic kind of information anyway, then no one would know the difference in whether you were faking it, or actually knew that song and have played it before on a regular basis.

Chesh

[MysticalMatt517]

Originally Posted by CheshireCat

Well, not exactly.

Basically, early popular music was a lot like show tunes and some Jazz Standards, which worked off of common, popular song forms with perhaps only the melody and the lyrics being different.

Well, as a working musician, such as a lounge singer, you were responsible for taking requests and had to be ready play anything thrown at you in terms of what the customers and patrons wanted. Because of this, it was important for you to have a very wide repetoire or array of songs to work with.

However, on occassion, a patron would request a song that you didn't know, so you would have to fake it . . . that is, to say, fake like you know how to play a song that you don't really know how to play.

So, while you were ostensibly digging thru your "sheet music" for that song, you pull out your trusty "fake book" (get the connotation?) and open to that particular entry. As Billy pointed out, it isn't the actual note-for-note transcription of the song, but rather just a thumbnail sketch of it, and nothing more.

However, if you are good at sightreading and sightsinging, you know the popular styles, and have a good command of harmony and accompaniement, then you could actually fake your way thru that song and play it, and while it wouldn't necessarily be the greatest rendition of the song, the patron usually ends up happy and buys another round of drinks, and you are off and running to your next standard that you do know.

That's how a Fake Book works, and if you are playing Jazz where everything is improvised and you are playing off of that basic kind of information anyway, then no one would know the difference in whether you were faking it, or actually knew that song and have played it before on a regular basis.

Chesh

Right on! I had a saxophone instructor once who made me buy a fake book just so I could learn improvisation. Then, as a joke he pulled out a fake book titled "The Real Book"!

[LWatford]

The "Real Book" is like the real "fake book." In it's true form it's also sometimes known as the "Illegal Book," because most copies floating around have everything, regardless of any legal issues.

[CheshireCat]

Originally Posted by MysticalMatt517

Right on! I had a saxophone instructor once who made me buy a fake book just so I could learn improvisation. Then, as a joke he pulled out a fake book titled "The Real Book"!

Originally Posted by LWatford

The "Real Book" is like the real "fake book." In it's true form it's also sometimes known as the "Illegal Book," because most copies floating around have everything, regardless of any legal issues.

I had a Real Book back in my Jazz Bass days. Great resource.

Chesh

[MJ_Avalanche]

Originally Posted by MysticalMatt517

Right on! I had a saxophone instructor once who made me buy a fake book just so I could learn improvisation. Then, as a joke he pulled out a fake book titled "The Real Book"!

Which is an excellent book for all your Jazz Standards needs. I should know... I spent plenty of money on it!