Lead sheet

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A lead sheet

A lead sheet or lead sheet is a simplified notation of a piece that consists only of the melody (possibly with text) and its harmonies in chord symbols and is widely used in jazz and rock music. Larger collections of pieces of music, for example the Real Book , contain lead sheets. They should simplify the spontaneous playing and accompaniment of the notated pieces, for example in jam sessions , while leaving freedom of interpretation. Compositions can simply be noted down as a lead sheet without having to specify a specific instrumentation or arrangement .

handling

When reading from a leadsheet, a pianist or guitarist uses the chord symbols to accompany the melody. The chord symbols reflect the harmonious structure of the piece, so that it can be improvised in cooperation with an ensemble. In addition to the chord symbols, a lead sheet can contain other symbols; z. B. rhythmic accents that the ensemble should play in unison . If a piano accompaniment is specified for the melody, there is no longer a lead sheet. Collections of pieces notated in this way are sometimes incorrectly referred to as "fakebooks".

Collections of lead sheets or fake music are available under the name fakebook . The best known is the Real Book . The name also indicates that copyright regulations in such fakebooks are often not complied with.

Leadsheets that only consist of chords and possibly the text are called chordsheets . Some music collections, such as songbooks, contain chordsheets.

Other symbol spellings are the tablature for guitar and lute , in the Renaissance period also for keyboard instruments ( organ , harpsichord , clavichord ) or the figured bass for chord-forming accompanying instruments (harpsichord, positive organ , theorbo ) in baroque music .

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