Good Times, Bad Times: Lead Sheet

This collection captures the Stones' essential output from their formative decade in one professional-quality resource. Guitarists get direct access to the riffs and solos that defined early rock, presented alongside complete lead sheets that reveal the harmonic structure beneath songs most players know only by ear. The inclusion of guitar TAB for 29 pivotal tracks transforms this from a songbook into a practical learning tool that accommodates multiple reading approaches.

Opening this book feels like holding a master class in rock songwriting. The pages move between the raw energy of blues covers and the sonic ambition of psychedelic experimentation, all grounded in clear, readable lead sheets that let you see exactly how these songs are constructed. There's a tangible sense of watching one band's artistic journey unfold across a decade.

Guitarists ranging from advanced intermediate to professional who want to understand the harmonic and melodic DNA of classic rock material. This resource serves musicians preparing for rock repertoire, jam sessions, or solo recitals, as well as guitar teachers building curricula around canonical rock songwriting.

• Study the reproduced original sheet music covers alongside the lead sheets to understand how these songs were first published and performed, informing your interpretation of rhythm and phrasing.
• Use the guitar TAB section to identify the signature riffs, then work back to the lead sheet to understand the harmonic context supporting those iconic figures.
• Reference the discography and ABKCO years timeline while working through songs chronologically; you'll hear the band's stylistic evolution reflected in the compositional choices across the book.

Solo guitarists can build a recital or concert set drawing from across the Stones' early catalog, using the chronological span to create programming that traces the band's evolution. Guitar teachers can assign songs across multiple skill levels, with blues covers serving early learners and more harmonically complex psychedelic material challenging advanced students. The lay-flat binding and professional presentation make this suitable for study at home and reference during lessons.

• Reading lead sheet notation and translating chord symbols into guitar voicings
• Identifying and transcribing signature guitar riffs from TAB and audio reference
• Understanding blues-based harmonic structures and their application to rock songwriting
• Analyzing the relationship between melody, rhythm, and harmony in classic rock composition
• Recognizing stylistic shifts in songwriting across a ten-year period