I Was Doing All Right: Lead Sheet

This collection gives you access to over 100 Gershwin standards in lead sheet format, all vetted by the Gershwin estate for accuracy. For guitarists working in jazz and popular music contexts, having this many reliable charts in one place streamlines preparation and ensures you're learning from authoritative sources rather than internet versions that may contain errors or incomplete harmonic information.

These melodies carry the elegance of 1920s and 1930s New York songwriting, full of sophisticated harmonic turns and unexpected resolutions that keep your ear engaged. The charts preserve Gershwin's gift for melody that feels both effortless and intellectually rich, balancing accessibility with harmonic depth.

This resource serves jazz guitarists at all levels, from intermediate students building their standards vocabulary to advanced players arranging for ensembles or refining their comping voice leading. It's equally valuable for music educators teaching jazz history, harmonic analysis, or the relationship between composed melody and improvised accompaniment.

• Study the original recorded versions of these songs to hear how the melody sits against the harmony and where rubato or rhythmic freedom typically occurs in each tune.
• Pay attention to Gershwin's use of chromatic passing chords and altered dominants; these details distinguish his harmonies from simpler popular music and reward careful voice leading in your comping.
• Use this book alongside recordings of different eras (Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Bill Evans) to hear how the same lead sheet supports vastly different interpretive approaches.
• Work through the changes methodically rather than sight-reading entire tunes; Gershwin's harmonic sophistication benefits from deliberate study of each section.

Assign individual standards from this collection as part of a jazz curriculum focused on American songbook repertoire, or use multiple charts to build a themed set around Gershwin's theatrical contributions. You might also frame specific tunes as harmonic case studies in a jazz theory or arranging class, examining how Gershwin's chord choices support or enhance the melody.

• Reading and interpreting lead sheet notation with slash chords and harmonic symbols
• Understanding jazz harmony including passing chords, altered dominants, and chromatic voice leading
• Recognizing song forms typical of the Great American Songbook (AABA, ABAC, 32-bar standards)
• Applying appropriate rhythmic comping styles to different song tempos and feels
• Developing melodic phrasing sensitivity by studying how a written melody interacts with sophisticated harmonic accompaniment