5 comments about The Praise and Worship Fake Book: An Essential Tool for Worship Leaders, Praise Bands and Singers!.

1. This book was purchased as a gift for a dear friend and really made her day when she recieved it



2. When I started looking for a book to order for all my musicians in a growing praise team, I picked this one b/c of it's contents and, in all honestly, availability. I needed to have bunch of copies and couldn't afford all of them at once, so I picked something I could find almost anywhere. Most of my vocalists are messo-soprano or below so it's hard to sing a lot of the songs because most of the keys are so high, but there are several great resources in the book. My favorite is the index of keys. Great song selection too. Chords, a few already transposed for use with a capo, and large print. Overall a safe and varied choice.



3. This is a wonderful (huge) book. Awesome variety of songs. The binded book makes it so easy to use while at the piano. Enjoy!



4. I haven't gotten my guitar skills to the point where I can play along with my singing, but this book has tons of really good songs. It's easy to use and I can't wait to start using it regularly in my Bible Study!



5. Great transaction for a great book. This was a gift for my wife who is the musician in the house. She loves the book and having so many songs in one book.

5 comments about The Trophy Wives Club: A Novel of Fakes, Faith, and a Love That Lasts Forever.

1. This book was just as good, possibly better than all of Billerbeck's other books. I've read the Spa Girls series, as well as the Ashley Wilkes Stockingdale series and Split Ends. I recommend all of those as well.



2. This is a wonderful book! Haley is a character any woman can sympathize with (I actually think she's my clone!) I could really relate to her struggles with a failed relationship and an ex-SO who doesn't care a bit about her now. You won't find cliches here. Truth is mixed with genuinely funny moments. Don't miss it!



3. I am a huge Kristin Billerbeck fan! She is my favorite author and I love how she can create characters who are realistic Christians. This book, however, was disappointing to me. I was actually surprised to see so many good reviews on Amazon after I finished it yesterday! The characters in The Trophy Wives Club just didn't seem to be as well-developed as I'm used to with Billerbeck's writing and I found it hard to sympathize with the main character, Haley. In addition, I found numerous typos, including 2 times where the wrong name is used altogether! That bugs me. I still love Kristin and I will continue to read her work, but this book was not up to par, in my opinion.



4. I love Kristin Billerbeck and would give my eyeteeth to be able to write like she does. This book, however, wasn't my favorite of all her books I've read. It is more serious than some and delves into areas not seen in most Christian fiction and for that I applaud her. I will say that once I started this book I couldn't put it down and was caught up in Haley's life and her travel to find TRUE love.
   
   A small comment about Haley's mother going to a church where they "talk to rocks - well, cement statues of saints, but still" bothered me as a Catholic as did the incorrect use of the phrase Immaculate Conception. As with most Protestants, the phrase is used to mean Virgin Birth, which is completely wrong. It is the doctrine that Mary was saved from stain of Original Sin at the moment of her conception. It doesn't refer to Jesus's conception at all.
   
   All in all, though, I enjoyed the book, but look forward to more humor in her other books.



5. Though I don't believe in fairy tails I like meeting the women characters in this book. They are hilariously faulty and so genuine. It's a good read and I am happy to see another Christian Chick Lit author. I hope this genre grows.Drawing Marissa

5 comments about The Beatles Fake Book: C Edition (Fake Books).

1. What a great time I've been having out on my lanai turning the pages to find another Beatles tune to play for the first time! Like prior reviews, not turning those pages while playing the song is such a benefit. I'm a solo act in SW Florida and I've already added a few obscure, compared to Let it Be or Hey Jude, songs to my songlist. Fool on the Hill, She's a Woman, Tell Me Why, and more. If you want to rekindle playing music and are know Beatles tunes, this is the book to get! Highly recommended.
   Tom D



2. I'll preface by saying it's really 4-stars since it accomplishes it's purpose: it's a "Fake" book. Fake books, as I understand it, should enable you to jump right into a song and fake it. This book excels in that respect.
   
   However, as a guitar player, if you seek perfection and want to play the songs exactly the way the Beatles played them, it's a bit off on some tunes.(Obviously, guitar solos are for the most part non-existant...not a problem)
   
   Rent/buy the DVD of Beatles Anthology and prove it to yourself. Capo songs like, "Norwegian Wood", "Here comes the Sun", "Across the Universe", "Julia" are not indicated in this book. Furthermore, some of the the chord fingerings are not the most efficient and I'm also certain were not used by the Beatles themselves. At times, in order to fake it I found that using my personal knowledge of chords and just reading the chord name (as appposed to the finger diagram) was much simpler and sounded better.
   
   Overall: I'm thoroughly enjoying this book and it was a great purchase.
   
   Lyrics and chords at your fingertips in a nice ring binder format.



3. I first purchased this book about 20 years ago but it gradually wore out and I had to replace it as it is indespensable for both the professional and the novice. I highly recommend this fake book and will continue to use mine for years to come. I even bought one for my nephew who is also into the Beatles. I believe it is good for instruction as the Beatles played in many different keys. It is great for learning chords. You simply cannot go wrong with this book!
   
   
   
   
   
   The Beatles Fake Book: C Edition (Fake Books)The Beatles Fake Book: C Edition (Fake Books)



4. No guitar-playing Beatles fan should be without this book. It is hands down a great fake book and well worth the money. I had to rebuy this after my other copy got soaked in a rainstorm. What I really like is that it has all the songs, most of them fit onto one page, and it sits easily on a stand. Perfect for sharing with a band or photocopying for others. My one criticism is that the chords are not always correct, though they maybe close enough in some cases. The melodies, as far as I can tell, are spot on. This is a great complement to The Beatles Complete Scores, for when you need to find out what that chord really is.



5. I already own Complete Scores and a 1987 "Beatles Complete", but I bought this so I would have something to use in performance, to cue me on lyrics and music without any page turns. Surprise: the arrangements are in such tiny print that it's virtually impossible to use this in performance as a fake book. You just can't read the words unless your face is only a few inches from the book, with perfect lighting. I would gladly have paid more if they'd laid out each song on 2 facing pages, but instead they usually cram 3 songs on those 2 facing pages. Compare this to the Real Book, which is thicker because it is typeset so you can actually use it in performance as a fake book.
   
   The Beatles music? 5 stars, of course. The arrangements here? Good enough, the ones I've bothered to hunch over and read; 4 stars. The layout and usefulness of this book for its advertised purpose? 1 star.

5 comments about Fair Game: My Life as a Spy, My Betrayal by the White House.

1. Just what the hell is W-R-O-N-G with the ideologically radicalized Flame supporters/apologists (read: diehard liberals desperate to misuse the unimportant Flame Affair to misguidedly damage the Bush Admin.)???? Can't they use logic to adhere to the non-negotiable fact that Valerie Flame is the one, true and only villainess????
   
   To recap, since the positive reviewer-sycophants of this book clearly blocked out the news that broke this past July, US District Judge John Bates decided in a ruling that was widely reported even by the libs' friends, the mainstream media, to reject Flame's suit against the Bush Admin. To recap some more, that blatantly frivolous lawsuit charged that Bush Admin. officials connived in a "revenge" campaign to defame Flame and her husband, John Kerry-stooge and former ambassador, Joseph Wilson. "NOT SO!!!!" Judge Bates admonished the attention-seeking and sensationalistic Flame and Wilson.
   
   Bates ruled that the dissemination of information about Flame's alleged, "covert" (hahaha, libs are really the only ideologues who believe that misdirection!) status by Richard Armitage and others involved in discussing it was inherently "WITHIN THE SCOPE OF" Bush Admin. officials' "DUTIES AS HIGH-LEVEL EXECUTIVE BRANCH OFFICIALS." I'll translate for liberals who don't speak Logic, but only speak the language of ideological radicalism and partisanship: that means that Armitage, Cheney and L. Scooter Libby all were within the law as Executive Branch officials to use the press to publicly rebut and discredit the dishonorable Joseph Wilson in his smear campaign against Bush's state of the union speech!!!! Thus, this whole book by the sore-loser and poor sport Flame is a total sc*m that shouldn't have been published in the first place!!!!
   
   Because of the Judge's infallible ruling that Flame has no case, it's a shock this tripe of a book was even published--obviously, the publishing world slants towards liberals. It only logically follows then that Flame's inexcusably mendacious recounting of events is also infected with nothing but deception, some of which I'll address in order to lecture libs who still persist on clinging to this wet-dream fantasy of theirs.
   
   The worst whopper of a lie is that Valerie Flame was a "covert" agent. People with a higher authority than the diehard-believing liberal supporters of Flame have explained and established why this is untrue. Lawyer Victoria Toensing testified in March of 2007 during a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing that Flame failed to meet the legal criteria to admissibly call herself covert during the time of the State Dept.'s (NOT the White House's) leak by Armitage. In order for Flame to have been truly covert, she needed to have been stationed OVERSEAS for the CIA for the past, five years, according to the Intelligence Identities Protection Act. Since she had a boring, uneventful desk job in Langley for years, she flagrantly didn't meet the cut to be classified covert. This is yet another reason the Judge threw out Flame's frivolous suit, yet Flame continues to obstinately misrepresent herself like this.
   
   Other incriminations against Flame's stubbornly merciless charade of being a covert agent include the facts that: she was on an administrative rather than an operational track in Langley; drove to work every day in full view of everybody; comments to Robert Novak (a registered DEMOCRAT, you dissembling libs!) by CIA spokesman Bill Harlow that she wasn't going to get another foreign assignment; and FBI testimony that her CIA employment was common, Washington knowledge.
   
   Flame's whole misrepresentation and character-*ss*ssination of a tripe-book is based on her conspiracy theory of grandeur that the Bush Admin. had to retaliate against her husband for writing his underhanded op-ed piece in 2003. This Wilson op-ed actually falsified that he was told by N*g*r that Iraq was in fact not seeking yellow-cake uranium, yet this Wilson chicanery was disproved by the 911 commission which issued a report stating that Wilson was told by former N*g*r PM Mayaki that Iraq indeed wanted to buy uranium from there.
   
   After all these inarguably solid and delusion-crumbling facts that I've shoved down their lib throats, it's a wonder why any diehard lib-believers would continue to keep wrongfully aggrandizing Flame to such a status of credibility. Her book--which is heavily redacted (probably to persuade gullible libs to believe she's being "persecuted" by the CIA) and so unreadable--is nothing more than a ploy designed to fabricate her image as that of a martyr. Her book is plotted to preach to the choir of ferociously diehard, anti-Bush ideologues, massaging their partisanship in place of facts.
   
   When this villainess of a woman spends a part of the book actually dishing out her sob story of her marriage allegedly being strained by this leak--which is IMPOSSIBLE since there was no leak since she wasn't covert and no crime was committed!--smart folks will brand this book as using melodrama to gain an audience. The result of the Flame Affair is the Bush Admin. is 100% cleared of criminal activity for leaking, and Flame will be forever remembered in history as the lying villainess.



2. I was really looking forward to reading about her life in CIA and not the ordeal, we all know about the ordeal, and no matter what your opinion is on the whole situation, it couldn't have been easy, but it was a little misleading. Oh well...



3. Valerie's story is almost a personal 1984. The government singles out a husband and wife to ruin their lives. In the end they fought being railroaded, audited, their loss of income and opportunity, and a battle that even threatened their marriage. At the same time, the guilty party "Scooter", thanks to the president he served, walked away free from a jail sentence. A note: Don't let the redactions in chap 2 and 3 stop you from reading further. They serve as one more element of the war against the author.



4. Another recorded book..and another comment that it's not my favorite medium as I have too few specfics to refer to.
   
   The first portion of the book is autobiographicalesqe. (!) Val talks about her time in the "Farm," her early tenure in the CIA, etc. It's interesting, and she does include items of dubious ethicality of the Bush administration. (You'll recall that's what put her on the map, that someone had exposed her role with the agency, as a vendetta for her husband's revealing that the Niger uranium scare was a bad hoax.)
   
   That part of the book was okay. But, frankly, there's a little too much name dropping to make me comfortable. Might I do the same if I were in such a position? Maybe. But that she's met Tim Robbins is inconsequential, and I'd rather the author not include what could be construed as tabloid news.
   
   The second half of the book, the "afterward," is actually of more substance. It's simply a narrative of the whole experience, including the CIA's activities--and what one may infer as their negative influence on our foreign policy. I remember a little about the US relationship with Greece, for example, only because many years ago I spent some time with some Greek expatriots. They told me of the what purported to be a democracy there, in reality a military junta with a ghastly human rights record. What a surprise, they were a US ally.
   
   In short, if you have time, you might want to read the book, and learn a little. But it's not one I'd put on the top of my list.



5. Interesting read. Just goes to show you what lengths the CIA and our political leaders are willing to go to even for revenge.

5 comments about How to Play from a Fake Book (Keyboard Edition).

1. This is not a bad book at all. My rating comes from comparing it to the similar "The Next Step" by Bradley Sowash and Scott Houston, to which I gave 4 stars. My complaints with this book are that, aside from the really dorky and thus grating attempts at humour, a few of the songs in this one are obscure to anyone under 50, and quite lame (Streets of Laredo and Simple Gift are two I had to track down and wished I hadn't), without being muscially interesting in any way. The treatment of the LH is not very in-depth. For general readability, TNS is much more engaging, and the goal of producing a full arrangement is kept more clearly in focus, particularly with respect to integrating the LH. So that's what How to Play from a Fake Book is weaker on: presentation and the big picture. Why buy it?
   
   Here's what Neely's book has going for it: the section on chord types is MUCH more extensive than what you get in TNS and his "common tone" exercise is a great way to get the hands used to moving around the keyboard. There are some very entertaining songs to play that use minor and altered chords which take you to regions of keyboard geography you're just never going to get near with TNS. "Ain't Nobody's Bizness" is a great bluesy number to practice substitutions and swing rhythms on, for example. The book is more extensive and goes further than TNS, but the presentation just isn't as engaging as TNS. I'd say they complement each other. I find that I apply the approach to fake book playing from TNS, which I refer to for motivation, while I'm working through the more advanced material in "How to Play from a Fake Book". If you only want to buy one, which one? I'd say TNS if you're more of a beginner and Neely's book if you're a little more advanced, though at some point all you'll need is a decent fake book and a chord dictionary.



2. I played piano for over 40 years but couldn't tell one chord from another, I'd only learned to play from written music. This book explains basic chords, variations, inversions and more in a simple, straight-forward manner that makes using a fake book and improvising a fun challenge. It's also helpful in embellishing my current music. I'd highly recommend it! It's brought new life to playing piano.



3. If you're a self-learner who wants a very nice and gentle instruction on all the chord variants, this book is pretty good... it almost feels like you have a good-natured teacher sitting beside you. The book is interspersed with 50+ fake book songs, and comes with a chord reference chart, so it's hard to go wrong for the price.
   
   However, it doesn't cover much more than block chords, so if you've learned all the chord variants already (or are going to learn them from the many websites), and don't care for the songs it includes, then this may not be the book for you.



4. I was reading the reviews for the book Piano for Dummies on Amazon. There was a lot of whining about the dire humor in the book which I thought was a coincidence because I had been working on this How To Play From a Fake Book and I was finding it so difficult because the so called funny bits were putting me off. Then I looked at the "writer" and realized they were one and the same! Boy! This guy is not funny in a major way. The information provided is fine and the idea behind the book is illuminating but it is trying to learn how to play the piano with a 12 year old sitting beside you on the stool trying to brighten things up with some of the lamest cracks you could imagine. Therefore three stars for this "book" and minus three for the hilarious gags. I do not think I will be going near the Piano for Dummies book. I Neely did. Geddit? Ho ho ho!
   (Oh man, it's contagious.)



5. Let's start off with some assumptions:
   You have bothered to spend the few weeks it takes to learn how to read music, even if only slowly.
   You are mainly interested in playing pop music (rock, country, soul, r&b etc.) as opposed to jazz or classical (not that this book can't help you with the latter as well).
   You have noticed that most song books have what are called lead sheets that only have a treble clef melody line with chord letters over the bars of music, and lyrics.
   You have gotten far enough with your keyboard playing that you can play some basic chords with your left hand and a melody with your right hand. Which is all that most songbooks show you how to do.
   
   You have realized that on the recordings you listen to professional musicians seldom play a straight out melody with their right hands, and almost never while the vocalist is singing. Any more than guitar players play a melody, but instead play more interesting chord patterns for accompaniment.
   This is the book that teaches you to play the way professionals do. In 88 pages no less. To put it as simply as possible, learn how to read music then get this book as the only book you need to learn how to play keyboards. Just as snowplowing is a useless skiing technique once you learn how to turn stop on skis, simply learning to play left hand chords and a right hand melody is nearly as useless a technique for actually accompanying a singer.
   I say 'nearly' because there are in fact times when playing the melody line is fitting, but as your only right hand technique is frustrating and being stuck in a rut. This book gets you out of that rut and gives you the tools to strike off on your own with no musical limitations to hold you back. Man am I happy I found it. In retrospect I would gladly have paid $100 or more for this book when I first started.

5 comments about Scott The Piano Guy's Favorite Piano Fake Book.

1. This book is not only useful but entertainingly written. I enjoyed reading it on my commute to and from work. My only quibble is that it's hard to reference next to the piano because it doesn't lay down flat, but hey, what do you want for the money? I also really like the references to web pages where you can hear Scott demonstrate what he wants you to do: that's a terrific concept. Thanks Scott the Piano Guy!



2. Expanding on the title of this review, Scott the Piano Guy seems to have created this fake book as if it was going to be the only fake book he put together. So many of the fake books I've seen or purchased have a requisite number of good songs that I'm interested in but also have many that I would never consider playing at all--almost as if sequels are planned that you'll have to purchase if you want more of the really good stuff. But the selections in this one are excellent for my taste and current level of skill development. The convenience of having the chords graphically shown at the top of each song is a strong plus. I use the book on the organ rather than piano, so some of the inversions typically used are different, but the chord diagrams are still quite convenient. The book is good quality paper and strong. It would benefit from spiral binding, but that's nothing that a trip to the local office supply chain can't remedy for a few dollars. Best fake book I've seen for the developing musician.



3. I found this book to be a great disappointment for two main reasons.
   
   First, the song selection. If you like show tunes and obscure songs from yesteryear this may be the book for you. If, on the other hand, you like contemporary popular music you may be disappointed. Such 'favorites' include Waltz for Debby (1964), A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square (1940), and Moonlight in Vermont (1944), and the list of 'hits' go on. Please. My grandfather has a better music collection that this.
   
   Second, Scott the Piano Guy unnecessarily changes the keys of many of the songs (I assume to make them easier to play). A good example is "Hey Jude" (one of the few decent songs in the book). Hey Jude as presented in the book is in the key of C, however is most often played in the key of F - and is written as such in all three of my Beatles songbooks. While it is true that most any song can be transcribed into any key, it would seem that this is something that should be stated clearly in the 'Notes from Scott' page at the beginning of the book. Especially in the case of beginners, songs as ubiquitous and identifiable as this should be learned in their original key, especially since the key of F is not that difficult to learn and play.
   
   In summary, I found nothing special in Scott's approach to fake books. This book is just a typical fake book, with a lousy song selection played in altered keys.



4. I really like this fake book as he includes the chord diagrams (beginner and advanced) at the top of every song. It is published by Hal Leonard so you get their familiar music layout. Melody, lyrics, and rhthym are displayed.
   
   It has a nice selection of songs from broadway, jazz, pop, etc. My only gripe would be that it would have been nice to have a few modern pop tunes from the past decade but what can you do.
   
   In short, it is one of the better fake book complilations I have seen, and should give me years of use.



5. This piano book is full of classic songs (both old and newer)that are really fun to play. The book is also really easy to understand for beginner to intermediate players.

5 comments about Catch Me If You Can: The True Story of a Real Fake.

1. This is a fun book. Abagnale's intelligence and wit come through, though the writing is a bit stilted and the material quite dated. But Abagnale's ability to exploit appearances and to exploit the level of trust necessary for society to work is fascinating and very funny. Perhaps his most interesting con is his relationship with women. This is the ultimate con game, I'm afraid, and the book would have been far better had he explained his con in this regard and had he come to terms with it. Also, the book ends quite abruptly and is unsatisfying in explaining how Abagnale ultimately came to terms with himself.



2. "The parental drive Frank wants from Carl feels less evident, missing the sensitive looks and words as played in the movie by Hanks and DiCaprio."
   
   don't you realize how silly it is to complain that stuff happens in the movie(fictional) and not in the book (factual).



3. I read this book right after seeing the movie in theaters because of how much I liked the movie. The book is a great addition to the movie because you will get to read a lot of the stories that didn't make it into the movie and read the non-hollywood version of the actual events.



4. I gave it 4 stars only because I reserve 5-star ratings for books I could not have lived without reading, so to speak. But it is a fascinating account, and if you like knowing that it's a big world out there with people doing interesting things, you'll probably enjoy this book. Abagnale is obviously intelligent and likes to have fun -- an infectious combination. I'm interested now in reading his follow-up, The Art of the Steal: How to Protect Yourself and Your Business from Fraud, America's #1 Crime. I suspect his advice will be more helpful than the dispirited, obfuscating "instructions" of the credit reporting agencies!



5. 'Catch me if you can' is a fairly entertaining, badly written fiction book that served as a base for a very entertaining, well directed fiction movie. It's not an amazing true story as the blurbs proclaim.
   
   Don't reach for this book if you want to read a true-to-fact autobiography. 'Catch me if you can' is a ghostwritten, highly embellished in style and content, largely implausible narrative that diverts from what probably really happened as much as the Spielberg movie diverts from the book. In words of Abagnale himself:
   
   'I was interviewed by the co-writer only about four times. I believe he did a great job of telling the story, but he also over dramatized and exaggerated some of the story. That was his style and what the editor wanted. He always reminded me that he was just telling a story and not writing my biography. This is one of the reasons that from the very beginning, I insisted the publisher put a disclaimer in the book and tapes.'
   
   I have yet to find this disclaimer in my copy. I like fiction and don't mind reading it as long as the author (or the publisher) doesn't try to sell it as a true story. Reading 'Catch me if you can' I had an increasing feeling that I was being conned. I swallowed all the tall tales of his forgeries, swindles and impersonations hook line and sinker, but the devil, as usual, is in details.
   
   Funnily my suspicions were aroused only when I found out he was fluent in French despite the fact that a few pages earlier he used an interpreter to communicate in that language.
   
   The description of his incarceration in a French hellhole of a prison is unbelievable to the point of ridiculous, but still the time is extended from 6 months he purportedly served to about one year.
   Then he's rescued by a Swedish policewoman Jan Lundström. Fine. I understand that all names in the book have been changed but Jan is a male name in Sweden. At this point I couldn't suspend my disbelief any longer and I put the book down unfinished.
   
   A few words about the style of writing. It's about as overdone as the facts it's supposed to desribe and nearly unreadable.

5 comments about Learning the bash Shell (In a Nutshell (O'Reilly)).

1. More than you ever wanted to learn about the bash shell. Good reference for sysadmins.



2. I have owned this book for awhile, and over the years it has been my only reference to the bash shell I have felt a need for.
   
   The only down points I have seen in this book is that some of the info seems to be seperated out a bit, making some info hard to find at times (although if you have a hard time using an index, well, bash may be a bit advanced for you), but everything is covered well, and the appendixes are fairly good.



3. shipping fast!! =D nice comunication and information :D
   sorry for later review:)
   -]Raul[-



4. I first bought this book over 12 years ago, and I still use it as the standard by which other books are measured. It must be one of my top 5 favorite computer books, ever.
   
   The author clearly understands the material, and makes it approachable, direct, and easy to learn without being too light or condescending. I wish the same could be said of Java books.
   
   "Learning the bash Shell" is the right size and right price, too. Perfect in every way.
   
   O'Reilly kind of took a turn for the worse in the late '90s / early 2000s, but this was originally published back when they were good the first time. (They've since recovered, IMO)
   
   If you have need to learn the bash shell, you can't go wrong with this one.



5. This book provided a solid resource to start writing shell scripts in bash. It is well written, and also provides understanding into some bash features that go beyond just a reference book.

5 comments about The Ultimate Fake Book: C Chord, 4th Edition.

1. Truly, this is a great collection of songs, and you will find many songs here you already know... and many you don't. Consider searching the internet for some mp3 and midi files for some of these songs. You will come up with many more songs that will increase your repertoire immediately. One of the reviews here lists ALL the songs.
   
   I agree with some of the other reviews about the book's size. This book is huge and hard to handle. What I did was take it to the print shop and have it broken down into three parts (don't forget to copy the table of contents for that section), and then you have three books that are much easier to handle.
   
   I have The Real Little Best Fake Book Ever: C Edition, and along with this book, you can keep yourself busy for years. You could make a living from the tunes in this book if you practice enough.
   
   If you have never purchased a fake book before, consider purchasing one of the others published by Hal Leonard such as Your First Fake Book (Fake Books) or The Easy Fake Book. Also, Scott Houston's book, Play Piano in a Flash! Play Your Favorite Songs Like a Pro--Whether You've Had Lessons or Not!
   
   Here's another tip that may save you some money. If you want to buy a piano buy Larry Fine's book The Piano Book: Buying & Owning a New or Used Piano. This one book could save you thousands of dollars and lots of grief when you are buying a piano. Just from reading this book I learned don't buy a spinet or mini grand. To enjoy playing the piano you have to have a good one. If you are going to buy the Ultimate Fake Book with over 1,200 songs, then you simply must have something that sounds good.
   
   Overall, I am happy with this book and I would recommend it to anyone. You won't regret purchasing it. Considering the quality and quantity, it's a bargain.



2. This book has become a cornerstone of my piano music library. It has been a fascinating journey to explore the pages of this enormous compendium of the American songbook, for myself, and for anyone who happens by my piano.
   
   The 'true' American songbook has 10s of 1000s of songs, so no attempt to be complete or 'ultimate' can stand up to criticism for being less than complete. However, what is contained in this book is as good a cross-section of 1200 songs as I could imagine. I think the choice is well done.
   
   As much as anything else, this book represents a great 'reference' in my music library. Someone asks me about a certain song, I hear it on radio, etc.--the first place I go is to this book to see if it's there. Most often it is.
   
   Some comments relating to other reviews:
   
   For those unclear about the term 'fake book': It contains melody, harmony (in the form of chord changes), lyrics and basic tempo markings. You must create your own arrangements including intros and endings, harmonization, bass lines and rhythmic constructions, a skill which takes time and work.
   
   Chord symbols are strictly alphabetic--none of those little guitar chord diagrams. If you play guitar and don't know your chords, you'll need a good chord chart.
   
   All of the songs (as far as I can tell) are in their original keys, an important consideration when collaborating with other musicians. A good many of these songs date back to the 'big band' era, and as such, there is a preponderance of 'flat keys'.
   
   The fact that this book is labeled 'C Chord' means only that it is not intended for transposing instruments (i.e. trumpet, clarinet, saxaphone, etc.). There are transposed versions of the book for B-flat and E-flat instruments for use in ensemble work.
   
   The binding problem: I use this book everyday. I removed the binding (tedious), took the two covers to a local print shop and had them laminated and re-punched. I reassembled the book and have had no issues at all with the binding, even given everyday use. Worth the extra $5 for a valuable, daily resource.
   
   Now: How best to create those triplets chords for "In the Still of the Night" ...



3. Holy Hannah! I couldn't be more pleased! Seller indicated this was in "used" condition, but it looks brand new! I was especially delighted to see that it contained full diagrams of all chords in the back of the book--very helpful if for instance you don't know the finger placement for uncommon, off the wall chords such as Eb or Ab and their variations). I may not play all 1,200 songs listed (would probably have to take a week's worth of vacation to do so and end up with sore fingers..lol), but if I even only play 1/8th the songs, I know I got a big bang for my buck (I paid $23 for the book and most song books cost that much if not more and only have 20-30 songs).
   
   I can't wait to play songs for my friends and family at gatherings!



4. The Ultimate Fake Book: C Chord, 4th Edition
   This is a great book. Since I took a class on how to play music using the chording method, I have had so much fun playing music. My skills reading music as I was taught in piano lessons are not as good as I would like but with the Fake Books, I can play so many more tunes. I recommend this book. It has thousands of wonderful songs, old and new.



5. Great for people like me who love music but can't read it. It helps to make me sound good. I love it.

5 comments about The Real Book: Sixth Edition.

1. i really like this book it is essential to all aspiring and accomplished jazz musicians



2. I am very pleased with The Real Book, 6th edition. It is clearly formatted, the chords are all proper, and the song selection is diverse. This is a great book for newbies to jazz and seasoned six string vets as well. I would not hesitate to recommend it to either.



3. Put simply, if you want to play jazz, you need to know the tunes in this book. My guitar teachers have given mixed reviews of some of the arrangements of the tunes, but nonetheless, the Real Book is a must-have for any serious jazz musician.



4. It is a pleasure to see clearly written notation, so it gets 4 stars, but just barely..
   
   Number 1 complaint:
   
   The publisher did not follow a cardinal rule of notation: don't place vertical bar lines directly below the bar lines of the staff directly above. So many of the songs have ALL the bar lines directly below those above.
   
   This makes it much harder to sight read the music. For example, look at "I'll Remember April". The first two measures for staff 6 are the same as staff 5. If your eyes don't jump down, you will get to the 3rd measure and find yourself replaying staff 5. Compare that to sight reading "Man in the Green Shirt", or "500 Miles High" where most bar lines do not line up directly under the staff above. So much easier to keep your place.
   
   Number 2 complaint:
   
   My number 2 complaint is the material used for the covers. Way too thin, prone to tearing. And the paper is grease/dirt absorbent. It should have a stiffer cover board with a laminate finish.



5. It arrived in mint condition within two weeks even though I live in the EU.