Things We Do For Love: Lead Sheet / Fake Book

This lead sheet captures one of pop music's most ingenious melodies: a song that burrows into your head immediately while revealing layers of harmonic sophistication on repeated hearings. Pianists and vocalists get to experience firsthand why 10cc's songwriting earned them both chart success and lasting respect among musicians.

Simultaneously upbeat and introspective, this tune captures the bittersweet logic of doing illogical things for love. The melody sits in a range that feels conversational and intimate, even when the arrangement opens up around it.

Piano and keyboard students exploring the intersection of pop songcraft and jazz harmony; vocalists building a contemporary repertoire that challenges them beyond standard pop fare; educators looking for material that engages serious musicians while remaining genuinely fun to perform.

• Lock in the syncopated rhythms of the melody early; they feel deceptively simple but require precision to sit properly in the groove.
• Use the harmonic motion to shape phrase endings rather than hitting every chord change equally; let the voice lead.
• Experiment with voicing options on keyboard to find what sits well with your vocalist's range and tone without cluttering the space.

Place this in a jazz or contemporary music set where it can bridge between traditional standards and modern songwriting. It works equally well as a solo feature or paired with other 10cc pieces if you're building a themed program around 1970s studio artistry.

• Interpreting lead sheet notation without a full score
• Balancing melody and harmony in a pop context
• Phrasing through syncopated rhythmic figures
• Comping choices that support rather than overpower a vocalist