How to Find and Use Pop Fake Books for Your Musical Needs
Pop Fake Book Pdf Download: What Is It and Why You Need It
If you are a musician who loves playing popular songs, you might have heard of pop fake books. But what are they exactly and how can they help you improve your musical skills and repertoire? In this article, we will explain what a pop fake book is, how it originated, what are its benefits and challenges, and where you can find the best pop fake books to download. We will also give you some tips on how to use them effectively. By the end of this article, you will have a better understanding of pop fake books and why you need them.
Pop Fake Book Pdf Download
Download Zip: https://www.google.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Fjinyurl.com%2F2ucK3e&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AOvVaw2TCAdzGdNIC_3J1yQwbuIO
The History of Pop Fake Books
A fake book is a collection of musical lead sheets that show the melody, chords, and lyrics of a song. A lead sheet is a simplified notation that allows musicians to play a song without having to read the full score. A fake book is called so because it enables musicians to "fake" their way through a song by improvising around the basic structure.
Fake books have been around since the early 20th century, when jazz musicians used them to learn and perform standards from the Great American Songbook. These fake books were often illegal and inaccurate, as they were made by copying songs from sheet music or recordings without permission or verification. However, they were also very useful and popular, as they allowed musicians to access a large repertoire of songs without having to memorize them or buy expensive sheet music.
Over time, fake books expanded to include other genres of music, such as rock, pop, folk, blues, country, and more. Today, there are hundreds of fake books available for different styles, instruments, levels, and purposes. Some of them are published legally and professionally, while others are still made by amateurs and enthusiasts. Some of them are printed in physical books, while others are digital files that can be downloaded online.
The Benefits of Pop Fake Books
Pop fake books are fake books that focus on popular songs from various artists, genres, and eras. They can range from classic hits to contemporary chart-toppers, from rock to rap, from ballads to dance tunes. Pop fake books can offer many benefits for musicians who want to learn and play pop songs. Here are some of them:
They can help you improve your musical skills. By playing from pop fake books, you can practice your sight-reading, ear training, chord recognition, rhythm, harmony, melody, improvisation, and more. You can also learn new techniques, patterns, licks, riffs, and tricks from different songs and styles.
They can help you boost your creativity. By playing from pop fake books, you can experiment with different arrangements, interpretations, variations, embellishments, and modifications of the songs. You can also mix and match elements from different songs to create your own mashups, medleys, or compositions.
They can help you expand your repertoire. By playing from pop fake books, you can access a huge library of songs that you can play for yourself or for others. You can also discover new songs that you might not have heard of before or revisit old favorites that you might have forgotten. You can also find songs that suit your mood, taste, occasion, or audience.
The Challenges of Pop Fake Books
Pop fake books are not perfect, however. They also have some challenges and limitations that you need to be aware of and overcome. Here are some of them:
They can have copyright issues. Some pop fake books are made illegally and without permission from the original songwriters, publishers, or performers. This can cause legal problems for both the makers and the users of the fake books. To avoid this, you should always check the source and legitimacy of the pop fake books you download or buy.
They can have accuracy issues. Some pop fake books are made inaccurately and without verification from the original songs or scores. This can cause musical errors, such as wrong notes, chords, lyrics, or keys. To avoid this, you should always compare the pop fake books with the original songs or scores and correct any mistakes you find.
They can have quality issues. Some pop fake books are made poorly and without care for the presentation or readability of the lead sheets. This can cause aesthetic problems, such as bad formatting, layout, font, color, or graphics. To avoid this, you should always choose pop fake books that are well-designed and easy to read.
The Best Pop Fake Books to Download
Now that you know what pop fake books are, how they can benefit you, and what challenges they pose, you might be wondering where you can find them. There are many sources of pop fake books online, but not all of them are reliable, legal, accurate, or quality. To help you out, we have compiled a list of some of the best pop fake books to download. Here they are:
Name
Description
Link
The Ultimate Pop Rock Fake Book
A collection of over 500 pop and rock songs from the 1950s to the 2000s, arranged for piano, vocal, and guitar.
https://www.halleonard.com/product/240099/the-ultimate-pop-rock-fake-book
The Pop Piano Book
A comprehensive guide to playing pop piano, with over 300 songs from various genres and eras, plus tips and techniques on style, harmony, improvisation, and more.
https://www.amazon.com/Pop-Piano-Book-Mark-Harrison/dp/0793578366
The Easy Pop Melodies Fake Book
A collection of over 100 easy pop melodies from various artists and genres, arranged for beginners with simple chords and lyrics.
https://www.halleonard.com/product/282489/the-easy-pop-melodies-fake-book
The Real Pop Book Volume 1
A collection of over 200 pop songs from the 1960s to the 2010s, arranged for C instruments with accurate chords and melodies.
https://www.halleonard.com/product/118324/the-real-pop-book--volume-1
The New Real Book Volume 3
A collection of over 300 pop, jazz, rock, Latin, blues, and R&B songs from various artists and eras, arranged for C instruments with accurate chords and melodies.
https://www.shermusic.com/newrealbook3.shtml
How to Use Pop Fake Books Effectively
Pop fake books are great tools for learning and playing pop songs, but they are not enough by themselves. You also need to know how to use them effectively to get the most out of them. Here are some tips and tricks on how to use pop fake books effectively:
need a different pop fake book than someone else. For example, if you are a beginner pianist who wants to play some easy pop songs, you might want to use the Easy Pop Melodies Fake Book. If you are an advanced saxophonist who wants to play some complex pop songs, you might want to use the Real Pop Book Volume 1. If you are a versatile guitarist who wants to play a variety of pop songs, you might want to use the Ultimate Pop Rock Fake Book. Choose the pop fake book that suits your needs and interests.
Study the pop fake book before playing. Don't just jump into playing the songs without understanding the structure, chords, melody, and lyrics of the songs. Take some time to study the pop fake book and analyze the songs. Look for patterns, similarities, differences, modulations, key changes, chord progressions, scales, modes, rhythms, and more. This will help you learn the songs better and faster.
Practice the pop fake book with a metronome or a backing track. Playing from a pop fake book can be challenging if you don't have a steady tempo or a harmonic context. To improve your timing and feel, practice the pop fake book with a metronome or a backing track. You can find many free online metronomes and backing tracks for different songs and styles. This will help you play the songs more accurately and confidently.
Play the pop fake book with expression and creativity. Playing from a pop fake book is not just about reproducing the songs exactly as they are written. It is also about adding your own expression and creativity to the songs. Use dynamics, articulation, phrasing, accentuation, ornamentation, and more to make the songs sound more alive and personal. You can also improvise around the chords and melody of the songs to make them more interesting and unique.
Have fun with the pop fake book. The most important thing about playing from a pop fake book is to have fun with it. Don't treat it as a chore or a duty, but as a joy and a privilege. Enjoy playing the songs that you love and that inspire you. Share them with others who appreciate them. Explore new songs that challenge you and that expand your horizons. Have fun with the pop fake book and let it enrich your musical journey.
Conclusion
Pop fake books are amazing resources for musicians who want to learn and play popular songs. They can help you improve your musical skills, boost your creativity, and expand your repertoire. They can also pose some challenges and limitations that you need to overcome. You can find many pop fake books online, but you need to choose them carefully and use them effectively. In this article, we have explained what pop fake books are, how they originated, what are their benefits and challenges, where you can find them, and how to use them. We hope this article has been helpful and informative for you. Now go ahead and download some pop fake books and start playing!
FAQ
Here are some frequently asked questions about pop fake books:
What is the difference between a fake book and a real book?
A fake book is a collection of lead sheets that show only the melody, chords, and lyrics of a song. A real book is a collection of jazz standards that show more detailed notation, such as chord symbols, chord voicings, bass lines, melodies, solos, etc.
Are pop fake books legal?
Some pop fake books are legal and some are not. It depends on whether they have obtained permission from the original songwriters, publishers, or performers to reproduce their songs or not. You should always check the source and legitimacy of the pop fake books you download or buy.
Are pop fake books accurate?
Some pop fake books are accurate and some are not. It depends on whether they have verified their information from the original songs or scores or not. You should always compare the pop fake books with the original songs or scores and correct any mistakes you find.
Are pop fake books quality?
Some pop fake books are quality and some are not. It depends on whether they have cared for their presentation or readability or not. You should always choose pop fake books that are well-designed and easy to read.
How can I make my own pop fake book?
You can make your own pop fake book by following these steps:
Choose the songs that you want to include in your pop fake book.
Find the original songs or scores online or offline.
Transcribe or copy the melody, chords, and lyrics of the songs.
Format and layout the lead sheets in a consistent and clear way.
Print or save your pop fake book as a physical book or a digital file.
71b2f0854b