Citadel: Lead Sheet

This is the definitive Stones collection for guitarists who want to understand how rock and blues songwriting actually works. The lead sheets include essential riffs and figures, so you're not just reading chords—you're learning the actual guitar parts that made these songs iconic. Having 29 songs with full TAB sections means you can study the exact techniques Richards and others used to build these arrangements.

Raw, inventive, and endlessly fascinating. These songs pulse with the energy of blues masters filtered through 1960s studio ambition and youthful experimentation. From swaggering rockers to moody introspection, the range is staggering, and every song reveals something about how melody, rhythm, and attitude combine to create timeless recordings.

Guitarists who are serious about understanding rock composition, arrangers building a repertoire library, and anyone teaching or studying how blues traditions shaped modern songwriting. This book works equally well for solo study, ensemble rehearsal preparation, or as a reference for musicians exploring how classic songs were constructed.

• Treat the included riffs as the foundation of each song, not optional decoration. These figures carry the harmonic and rhythmic identity of the pieces.
• Use the TAB section to learn the voicings and techniques directly from the recorded versions, then adapt them to your own playing style.
• Study the early sheet music reproductions to see how Stones arrangements evolved from simple lead sheets to the fuller productions on later albums.
• Cross-reference the discography with the songs to understand which era and recording session each piece comes from; the approach differs noticeably between their early blues-based work and mid-60s experimentation.

Use this book to anchor a unit on rock history and composition, where students can dissect how early Stones songs adapted American blues, then trace their evolution into original material. It pairs naturally with teaching jazz or pop harmony, since many of these pieces use blues changes as a foundation for harmonic exploration. Individual songs work well in student recitals or ensemble performances exploring rock repertoire alongside traditional genres.

• Reading professional lead sheets with chord symbols and riff notation
• Identifying blues progression variations and their function in rock songwriting
• Translating TAB notation into fretboard technique and tone production
• Understanding riff-based composition and how instrumental figures define a song's identity
• Analyzing the relationship between vocal melody and instrumental countermelody in rock arrangements
• Recognizing harmonic and rhythmic patterns across different songs and recording eras