Never Smile At A Crocodile: Lead Sheet / Fake Book

Slick and sinister in the way only a Disney villain song can be. The melody has a conversational quality that invites theatrical delivery, while the chord changes give you room to shade the accompaniment with dark humor and charm.

Pianists accompanying young vocalists in auditions, workshops, or recitals who need a clean, professional lead sheet. Voice teachers and music theater directors will appreciate having this in a format that allows both flexibility and harmonic clarity.

• Lock into the syncopated rhythm early. This tune lives and dies by rhythmic precision, so get comfortable with the pocket before worrying about interpretation.
• Play the walk with a slight swagger. The accompaniment should feel predatory and playful at the same time, not square.
• Leave space for the vocalist to deliver the character work. This song is about personality and menace, so resist over-playing the underscores.

This works beautifully as a solo audition piece or as part of a Disney-themed showcase. It's short enough to pair with another character song for a theater student's recital, and the lead sheet format makes it easy to transpose if needed.

• Navigating syncopated rhythms in a jazz-influenced idiom
• Reading and interpreting lead sheet notation with chord symbols
• Balancing accompaniment with vocal presence
• Finding character and personality within a comic song structure