You're Makin' Me High: Lead Sheet / Fake Book

This lead sheet captures one of the decade's most infectious R&B grooves in a format that lets musicians interpret and arrange the tune themselves. The harmonic language is accessible enough for students to grasp but rich enough to sustain interesting reharmonization and improvisation.

Smooth, confident, and undeniably funky, with a laid-back sensuality that sits in the pocket. The groove invites rhythmic flexibility and space, rewarding musicians who can balance precision with feel.

Pianists and keyboardists working on contemporary R&B grooves, singers adding 1990s pop standards to their repertoire, and jazz or commercial music students building skills with lead sheets and harmonic realization. It works equally well for solo performance or as part of a small ensemble.

• Study the original recording for phrasing nuance; Braxton's signature vocal delivery sits behind the beat in ways that shift the groove's feel dramatically.
• Anchor the accompaniment with a steady eighth-note pulse in the left hand to lock the groove, then layer in syncopated upper-register fills that complement rather than compete with the melody.
• Shape the melody with restraint through the verses; save dynamic intensity for the hook where the lyric and melody demand presence.

Include this in a contemporary music set or a "hits across the decades" concert that showcases R&B and pop standards. It pairs naturally with other 1990s crossover hits and offers students a real-world application of reading and interpreting lead sheets in a commercial style.

• Reading lead sheet notation and chord symbols
• Understanding R&B and contemporary pop harmonic language
• Interpreting rhythm behind the beat for groove and phrasing
• Balancing melody with rhythmic accompaniment figures
• Recognizing and executing syncopated accompaniment patterns