Let The Music Play: Lead Sheet / Fake Book

The piece carries the forward momentum and radio-ready polish of modern pop, with enough room in the lead sheet format for performers to inject their own personality and stylistic choices.

Pianists and keyboardists who want to develop real improvisation and comping skills within a contemporary context. Vocalists preparing arrangements or working on interpretive choices also benefit from having the harmonic structure laid out clearly.

• Read through the chord changes first without worrying about groove; get comfortable with the harmonic movement before layering in rhythmic feel.
• Experiment with left hand voicing options. The lead sheet gives you the structure, but your interpretation of when and how to voice those chords will shape the whole character of the tune.
• If performing with a singer, lock in the rhythmic pocket early in rehearsal. Lead sheets often benefit from a flexible approach to phrasing, but your rhythmic foundation needs to be solid.

Use this as a feature for a pop or contemporary set, or pair it alongside more traditional repertoire to show students how the same harmonic and melodic concepts work across different musical contexts. It also works as a study piece for musicians developing their skills in jazz-influenced comping and improvisation.

• Reading and interpreting lead sheet notation
• Chord comping at the keyboard
• Harmonic analysis of contemporary pop structures
• Improvisation and rhythmic flexibility in a pop idiom
• Collaboration between vocalist and accompanist