You Are The Best Thing: Lead Sheet / Fake Book

LaMontagne's songwriting strikes that rare balance between harmonic sophistication and immediate accessibility; students can learn the tune quickly while still discovering interesting harmonic movement underneath. The lead sheet format invites pianists to interpret the song freshly, and the emotional directness of the melody keeps singers engaged without requiring vocal pyrotechnics.

Warm, grounded, and deeply sincere. The song moves with the unhurried confidence of someone who knows exactly what they want to say and trusts the listener to hear it. There's a gentle intimacy here, neither sentimental nor detached.

Pianists and singers preparing material for auditions, competitions, or ensemble showcases will find this lead sheet straightforward to learn and artistically rewarding to perform. It also works well for music theory students studying contemporary songwriting and modal or jazz-influenced harmony.

• Experiment with the voicings before locking into a single realization; this chart invites personal interpretation, and small harmonic choices can shift the song's intimacy.
• Let the lyrics breathe. Resist the urge to rush into the next phrase; the pauses between vocal lines are part of the song's emotional architecture.
• Work the piano part for textural variety. Consider what the accompaniment does in the first verse versus the final chorus; growth matters here.

Slot this into a pop or contemporary music showcase where it can anchor a set of singer-pianist duets, or use it as a study piece for jazz piano students exploring contemporary composition. It also serves well as an accessible encore or wedding reception piece for student performers building real-world performance experience.

• Interpreting lead sheets and realizing voicings independently
• Balancing melody and accompaniment in a duo setting
• Sustaining lyrical phrasing across phrase boundaries
• Understanding contemporary songwriting structure and harmonic language