Empty Heart: Lead Sheet

This lead sheet captures the raw energy and blues-based simplicity of early Stones material, making it accessible for guitarists who want to understand how fundamental rock vocabulary was built. The inclusion of actual guitar riffs and TAB notation for 29 songs means players can move directly from reading the lead sheet to playing the iconic lines that define these recordings.

Raw, driving, and rooted in blues tradition. These songs pulse with the swagger of young musicians discovering their voice, combining Chuck Berry riffs with their own harmonic twists and a rhythm section that locks into the pocket with deceptive simplicity. The psychedelic experiments feel fresher when you see them emerging from this bluesy foundation.

Guitarists learning to play from lead sheets and understanding how blues and rock traditions shaped popular music from the 1960s onward. This book serves intermediate to advanced players who want to expand their working knowledge of classic rock repertoire and study how the Stones adapted blues material into original compositions.

• Study the fundamental instrumental riffs provided in each lead sheet before improvising around the changes; they establish the song's signature sound and guide your harmonic choices.
• Reference the guitar TAB section alongside the lead sheet to capture the exact voicings and positions Stones guitarists used, which often defines the groove as much as the underlying chord progression.
• Pay attention to the blues vocabulary embedded in these early songs; the phrasing, bent notes, and rhythmic anticipation are as essential to the feel as correct chord changes.
• Use the full-color discography to connect each song to its original recording, then listen critically to hear how the lead sheet translates the recorded arrangement onto the page.

Build a setlist around one era of the Stones' catalog using this book as your primary reference, progressing from straight blues covers to their more experimental work. Guitarists can use individual lead sheets for recitals, jam sessions, or as the basis for a themed ensemble arrangement that traces the band's musical evolution.

• Reading lead sheets with chord symbols and rhythmic notation
• Translating guitar TAB and riffs into melodic and harmonic understanding
• Recognizing and applying blues phrasing, bent notes, and rhythmic anticipation
• Understanding song structure and arrangement in early rock and blues compositions
• Improvising melodic lines and solos over rock and blues chord progressions