Thinking Out Loud: Lead Sheet / Fake Book

This lead sheet captures a song that students actually want to play, which means they'll invest the focused practice this harmonic progression demands. The tune's popularity makes it an excellent gateway into jazz piano voicing and improvisation, allowing you to teach modern harmony through material your students recognize.

Conversational and tender, with the kind of harmonic warmth that comes from thoughtful chord choices rather than complexity for its own sake. The melody unfolds naturally over the progression, creating moments of vulnerability that reward sensitive playing.

Piano students and keyboardists working on contemporary songwriting and lead sheet interpretation. This resource also serves vocalists and small ensemble players who want to explore a tune with real harmonic depth beyond basic pop structures.

• Pay attention to the chord extensions and substitutions in the progression; these create the emotional sophistication of the song, so voice them deliberately rather than defaulting to basic triads.
• Shape the melody with rubato and dynamic control to match the intimate character of the original recording; this isn't a straight rhythmic read.
• If using this in a combo or ensemble setting, lock the harmonic foundation with the bass player and let the melody breathe on top of that stability.

Pair this with a unit on contemporary songwriting or modern jazz piano voicing. It works equally well as a solo piece for a spring recital or as material for small ensemble performance and improvisation practice.

• Reading and interpreting lead sheet chord symbols
• Improvising over a steady harmonic progression
• Voicing jazz chords with extensions and alterations
• Balancing melody and accompaniment in real time
• Shaping contemporary pop melody with musicality and phrasing