Fake Books vs Learning to Read.

[berbie]

In my effort to learn to play the keyboard, I had made efforts to learn to read music the conventional way.  It is very difficult.  I discovered that it is easier to play when reading by using a fake book.  I would read the single notes on the staff, add some chord notes as indicated by the chords posted, and play the song. I woiuld do this occasionally when I needed to learn a song in a hurry.

At a later date I found that I wasn't using the fake book properly when I ordered a book entitled, "How to Play From A Fake Book".  It offered a great way to play from a fake book but required a lot of study.  It actually taught things that would help a person trying to learn to read music in the conventional way.

You can get almost any song that you want in fake books, but time spent learning how to use a fake book takes away from reading lessons.  Although I didn't, many might stop trying to read music altogether in favor of the fake book.

I am curious, how do most members feel about fake books and taking time that could be used for reading practice and using it to improve fake book skills.

[diverse379]

hey berbie

I feel that you have to do what works for you.

if you can read a single note line then you can read
its just a matter of how fluently you can read
ie both staffs bass and treble clefs

etc


I think for the gospel musician
learning to read a fake book is very good training for getting through a song book.

and to be honest
if you can read a fake book you can create a chord chart off of any song you encounter
I used to take a hymn book and write the chords and changes substitutions above the treble staff
so that I wouldnt have to read both staffs converting the hymn into a type of fake chart

I dont have to do this anymore

but this skill and ability helped me for many years.
as I was developing

today I am really working hard on my reading and I hope to get to an early advanced level by this time next year.

I in no way feel I cheated my self by concentrating on fake book reading or ear development
because the church musician is called upon to do many things and reading isnt the only thing you need to do

you need to be able to play songs
and whichever way you need to get to be able to play songs is what you need to do

as your ability to play and learn songs increase then you can take the time to fix the rest of your playing and ability

today I played a church service where I playefd all written music Bach Beetoven and some written praise song arrangements even a jazz solo piece
topped off with To God be the Glory  "ala African Heritage hymnal"
 it was great and everyone commented on how great it sounded

I was happy to have been able to do it.

today I can learn 6 songs written in a week  depending on the level difficulty

I can learn 4 songs in one day by hearing
it is important to be able to do both.

there are some songs that you cant find in fake book form there are even more songs that you cant find in written form

the thing is written music will give you a lot more stylistic ideas
fake book playing will give you
chord changes and you will have to figure out your style


I think a shared approach is what the average church musician will ultimately have to decide on

[T-Block]

To me reading is reading. It may be a "fake" book, but those are "real" doggone notes and chords being learned.

[berbie]

Hey, thanks for your comments, Diverse and T-Block.  I find it somewhat easier to read from a fake book, and it teaches you to quickly change inversions of even the more difficult chords. Of course, some of the books are better than others and you can get many songs in one book.(as many as 300-400). Also you can easily carry the book with you as necessary.   

Your comments make me more comfortable in what I am doing.

[betnich]

Standard fakebooks have their place, as shortcuts. Most of the charts we use are words w/chord symbols, or melody w/chords.

I am teaching one of my students to read "Silent Night" fakebook style, with RH melody and LH chord letter notes.
Hopefully this will prepare her to eventually do praise songs...

[Purplekeys]

What fake books do you all use?

[T-Block]

I don't, nor have ever used fake books. I use the real sheet music. If I can't find the real thing, I don't mess with it. BTJM!

[diverse379]

there are of course many jazz fake books these are good to get a chance to work out lots of jazz changes and to practice moving your chords around

you can find songs that utilize what they call rhythm changes and learn those many many permutations for they are very closely related to how we move in gospel

you can also learn the many permutations of giant steps for you hear a lot of neo soul type movements with those chords
confirmation come sunday and any of the beebobp blues are great for working out shout styles

the real book
the new real book
the ultimate fake book to name a few

then there is the praise and worship fake book
the hymn fake book

and of course any song book with chord symbols can be used just like a fake book

[berbie]

The one I use most is "Gospel's Greatest" from the Hal Leonard  series.  It can be purchased at Amazon for $20 or 30.00 as best I recall. It has 450 songs. 

I have others that I use occasionally. Some might like the "Praise and Worship" book which includes(you guessed it) praise and worship songs.   About 400 songs are included. If you consider one of these, be sure and check the list of songs before buying  to see if it includes the songs that you want. 

These books contain the melody lines,  the lyrics and the chords above the stanza.  You can carry one of these books with you easily as necessary and have the words and the chords close at hand.    Sometimes I can read a song conventionally many times and not remember it.  These books help, as you can take one book and have so many songs on hand.

[diverse379]

yes berbie the only draw back to any sort of reading for peformance is that often you forget how to play them once you are away from the page.

that has been my complaint for years.

but other than that it is a definite way to level the playing field and have you playing functionally
I remember my first song like that was I love you lord back in my first year of playing
I could play it awesomely with the arrangement supplied by the Md at calvary Baptist church

but I would always forget the complex turn around that he wrote

I still to this day dont really remember exactly how he did it I lost the sheet years ago

[musallio]

Great discussion guys. I always know that something with Diverse will have some nuggets

Thanks for the encouragement/ advice [do what works for you]. With hymns I definitely have to up my sheet reading skills as my pastor "doesn't joke with them".
The rest I should be able to improvise here and there.

[diverse379]

Thanks for the compliment Musallio and thanks also for the other thread  on the debate about the progression your mediation was a blessing
I think
I got carried away there. (how dare you challenge my KNOWLEDGE!!!!) yeah  a pride thing definitely
so thanks for helping to quell the currents

[musallio]

Thanks for the compliment Musallio and thanks also for the other thread  on the debate about the progression your mediation was a blessing
I think
I got carried away there. (how dare you challenge my KNOWLEDGE!!!!) yeah  a pride thing definitely
so thanks for helping to quell the currents

Hehehe, I'm glad I could get the BP levels to an acceptable level. I don't like it when my elders have cat-fights

You guys are all really great people and whatever you do here you give it your all. So continue along that path and if someone crosses your path unintentionally, just brush yourself and move on

I love you all!!