Lead Sheets, Pt. IX

This month I will be wrapping up a lengthy series of posts which pertain to reading charts. In previous posts I have discussed rhythm and chord charts, and with this final installment I’ll cover lead sheets. 

If you are unfamiliar them, a lead sheet notates the three basic elements of a song - the melody, lyrics and harmony. The melody is written in standard notation, song lyrics are written as text below the staff with the words corresponding to the appropriate melodic notes and the harmony is specified with chord symbols above the staff.

Here is a sample lead sheet for Yellow Submarine by The Beatles to practice with.

Chord Charts, Pt. VIII

Back in January I began a series of posts devoted to the study of rhythm charts, but this month I’ll tackle a similar concept called a chord chart. A chord chart is a shorthand system using only lyrics and chord symbols to outline a song.

Chord charts are probably the most utilized form of “notation” by the average guitarist and are commonly found on the Internet to illustrate chord changes to a given song. Just Google a song title and guitar chords - chances are some type chord chart will appear.

These types of charts are ideal for guitarists who sing and play as song lyrics are laid out with the chord changes above them. Since chord charts are shorthand way to outline a song a certain familiarity with the song is expected.

Why should they player be familiar with the song? First, unlike a rhythm chart, chord charts do not indicate how the rhythm to a song should be played – the rhythm is left for the player to interpret. Second, chord charts may not inform the player how to finger a given chord and the player may choose whatever fingering they like. Third, chord changes may not match up exactly with the words and the player needs to know how long a chord should be played or when a chord change may occur. Fourth, there may be certain “signature licks” in a song that are not always included in a chord chart. Fifth, chord changes may not be indicated in every verse or chorus, so the player must be familiar with the flow of the words against the chord changes.

Here is a sample chord chart for the Elvis Presley classic “Don’t Be Cruel” to practice with. Enjoy!!

Easy Pop Rhythms, 3rd Ed, Pt. VII – Book Review

Last month concluded my series of posts on rhythm charts and included a chart for the song I’m a Believer. This month I wanted to review the book Easy Pop Rhythms (3rd edition) published by Hal Leonard which is a wonderful supplement for further rhythm chart studies. 

Easy Pop Rhythms contains rhythm charts for 20 songs of varied pop styles (country, grunge, 50’s rock, etc.…). The book has gone through several editions and some of the songs have since changed, but here is a listing of several tracks from the current 3rd edition:

· Jambalaya (Hank Williams)

· Rock Around the Clock (Bill Haley & The Comets)

· Wonderful Tonight (Eric Clapton)

· No Woman No Cry (Bob Marley)

· All Apologies (Nirvana)

The rhythm charts included for each song are simplified and only use open chords in order to make the songs accessible to beginning students. Moreover, the rhythm charts also outline the songs structure: Intro, Verse, Chorus, Bridge, Solo and Outro. The song listing at the front of the book also denotes what chords are used in each song for easy reference.

Each song also has an accompanying play-a-long track; older versions of Easy Pop Rhythms came either with or without an accompanying CD. However, play-a-long tracks for the current 3rd edition are downloadable via the Hal Leonard website using an access code which comes with the book. The play-a-long tracks all have full band accompaniment however, the melody is not sung, but is played by a saxophone. Additionally, all tracks start with a measure long “metronome click” (2, 3 or 4 beats in length) to set the tempo for that particular song.

Easy Pop Rhythms retails for $14.99 and is a welcome supplement for teachers wishing to have their students gain a thorough understanding of rhythm charts. If you’d like to preview the book you may do so here.