Source of gospel lead sheets?

[tordana]

Hey guys,

Little bit of background: I was hired as the pianist for an AME church about a year ago. Prior to that time I had zero experience playing gospel music -- I grew up in a traditional white Presbyterian church. However I have a bunch of classical piano experience (easy to sight read anything from the hymnal) as well as a bunch of jazz piano experience, much of it reading from lead sheets.

Anyway, I've been trying to get a better repertoire of gospel music going for myself and I've found some songs suggested by my choir members on this site, but they are all usually in the left hand/right hand format. I'm really not a fan of this, and what I've done with those listings is to just grab some staff paper and spend an hour or so transferring them into classical music notation, while listening to a recording to get the rhythms right, and then spend more time figuring out what the actual chord changes are so I can improvise a bit on the written stuff while playing.

What I would much prefer is if there was an equivalent of the Real Book full of gospel music that I can just flip open to the proper song and play. Anybody know if something like this exists? I've had no luck finding it online.

Note that I've seen some songs posted in the lyrics + chord changes format -- this is useful but still not what I'm looking for as it doesn't provide the melody. Real Book style is melody + chord changes.

Thanks for any help you can offer!

[berbie]

Do you mean, "fake book"?  I have a gospel fake book that I use a lot.  It is entitled, "Gospel's Greatest", published by Word Music and Hal Leonard.  I  purchased it at Amazon.com. It has 450 gospel songs with lyrics, melody and the chords listed above.  You have the notation and melody notes for songs that you don't know.  You have the chords listed above to show the chord changes. You might not like all, many or any of the songs in this book, but there are other similar books with other songs included.   I don't read well, but I can play songs by ear, and by looking at the notation and chords, very well with the fake book.  You add what you want to.  A learned musician could use it for the notation, chord changes and the lyrics.   If that is what you are seeking, try Amazon.com.  They might have a book that works for you. 

[betnich]

Also check out ntimemusic - they have some free sheet music downloads...

http://www.ntimemusic.com/Scripts/prodList.asp?idcategory=21&viewall=1&sortField=description

:-)

[tordana]

Berbie,

That fake book is exactly what I was looking for! Thanks so much for pointing me towards it.

[berbie]

You're so very welcome,Tordana.  Have a great day.