How to Play from a Fake Book

Media:	Paperback
Author:	Blake Neely
Publisher:	Hal Leonard Corporation
Release date:	01 January, 1999
List price:	~~$14.95~~
Our price:	$10.17 that is 32% off!

How to Play from a Fake Book

Average rating: Stars

Annoying and Obnoxious

The writing style of the author is so obnoxious and annoying, that I never made it past the first few pages. Here's a few examples:
* From page 4, under "How much should you know about music to use this book", he writes, "Alphabet letters A through G (gosh, you don't even have to know letters H through Z!)".
* Here's another on the same page: "Will any of this hurt? I certainly hope not. Just don't turn the pages too quickly--paper cuts really sting!"
* One more, on page 14: "Drummers call these the backbeats, but then most drummers can't read music, so don't listen to them!"
If you find those things funny, then go ahead and buy this book. But if you find those "jokes" obnoxious and annoying, then pass it by. I recommend Mark Harrison's, "The Pop Piano Book" instead.

How to Play from a Fake Book - Blake Neely

now I get it!

I took piano lessons for 5+ years and in elementary/junior high. I never had the least idea how to make any chord, except by reading the notes. I never knew why one chord was called a G and another was a C7. (Possibly my teachers tried to tell me, and I was not paying attention -- I wasn't the most attentive student.) I started recently trying to play keyboard and I bought one of those little books that shows every chord and its inversions. Very time consuming to look up and try to memorize each chord! But after reading this book and "How to Play the Piano Despite Years of Lessons" I can actually sit down and play any major chord, and figure out any minor, diminished, augmented, and 7th. There is actually a rhyme and reason behind it all! Who knew?! I'm having a lot of fun with these books, although I can't say I'm ready to play for an audience.

Blake Neely - How to Play from a Fake Book

Waste of money

If you follow this book to learn how to play from a fake book, all you will end up with is sounding like you are playing a melody on your right hand, and block chords/arpeggios on your left. Not only very amateurish, but sounds downright ugly, and certainly no need for 88 pages to teach you that! You will have more fun and learn more on the way by getting pop sheet music. They all come with piano arrangments and chord symbols. Studying how the pros arrange the harmonies and accompaniments in these pop sheet music will tell you much more than anything this book has to offer. If you are classically trained and don't know what the chord symbols mean, a google search will give you all the answers. And if you don't know how to read music, well, this book won't help you anyway.

Greatest Bookstore Store