What is a fake book?
A fake book is a collection of what we call  "lead sheets.". These lead sheets consist of a single melody line with chords written above it. We learn how to interpret the chords with various techniques. For cocktail piano and band playing we rely on interpreting the chords as "jazz chords," so that when we play standards as cocktail music we have a slightly jazzy sound in our arrangements. 

Real book Volume 3

Hard copy         Kindle digital version

Also get the IrealPro app

for your phone or pad.

​A necessary musicians tool for practice. 

Hard copy         Kindle digital version

Hard copy                Kindle digital version

Hard copy         Kindle digital version

The Real Vocal Book series

Great fake books for professional jazz player and students 
by Hal Leonard Publishing

You can buy most of these Hal Leonard publishing fake books in hard copy or Kindle versions. They are the best in the fake books available on the market. They are the fake books I recommended for learning to play standards. Excellent chord choices and progressions written by professional musicians. All lyrics included.You will want get what they call, "High Voice" versions. They are not high keys. They are the traditional, normal keys that jazz players expect to see standards in. Their term "high voice" is a confusing mistake that they refuse to address.

Real book Volume 1

The fake books listed here are written with good chord changes for studying, learning and playing standards. Only a small percentage of fake books are written with good, intelligent chord changes that jazz players and students expect to see on charts when they are playing by chord concept. The writers and editors of these books are jazz aware and understand jazz patterns and how to use them. The jazz patterns aren't labeled on the songs but you will have a better chance to spot them using books like these. 

Real book Volume 2

Real book Volume 4

Recommended fake books

​