But Not For Me: Lead Sheet / Fake Book

This lead sheet captures one of the Great American Songbook's most bittersweet ballads in clean, readable format. Lester's association with this tune brings interpretive weight, and the single-page layout makes it ideal for sight-reading vocalists or pianists building their standards repertoire without overwhelming detail.

Resigned yet graceful. The melody carries a gentle melancholy that never tips into despair, while the harmony beneath suggests acceptance and quiet dignity. It's the sound of someone making peace with romantic disappointment.

Vocalists deepening their jazz and standards vocabulary, accompanists building fluency with classic American songbook material, and singers who want a straightforward, printable reference for rehearsal or performance.

• Balance the melody's vulnerable quality by resisting the urge to oversell the lyrics; let the harmonic sophistication of this Gershwin standard do the emotional work.
• Treat the accompaniment as a conversational partner to the vocal line rather than mere support; this partnership defines the tune's intimacy.
• Honor the syncopation and phrasing nuances typical of jazz standards; don't force it into a strict rhythmic grid.

Feature this in a jazz or standards-focused recital, pair it with other Gershwin works for a focused concert theme, or use it as a teaching piece for advanced singers learning to navigate jazz phrasing and interpretive choice within a compact, single-page format.

• Reading jazz lead sheet notation and chord symbols
• Interpreting syncopation and lyrical phrasing in classic standards
• Understanding harmonic progression in the Great American Songbook
• Building interpretive choices from minimal but precise notation