Simplifying Chord Changes

[abracadabra]

I'm only starting out here, so this may be a really naive question, but if the Real Books were/are frowned upon, then what would be the major source of lead sheets for jazz standards?

Do most people just learn them by ear, or is there a REAL 'Real Book' out there with the original changes? Or is jazz just so open to interpretation that there isn't really any 'right' way to learn anything?

I ask because although I know that you can freely reharmonize anything you want to, I had assumed that there had to be some basic changes that everyone was reharmonizing from to begin with, if you get my meaning.

[JohnW400]

Regarding standards, the best source is the original published sheet music. However there are still some shortcomings as the chords listed with those nice little diagrams are often misnamed. I have seen many cases on sheet music and published scores where the guitar part has a simplified chord name while the piano part has the complete harmony listed. This was usually done to help elimnate conflicting harmony.

As for the Real Book, It is accurate enough. If your looking for 100% then it would be a good idea to check out the source recording along with the Real Book to be sure. And even then there will be times when the actual name of a chord will be open to interpretation.

To me the main thing is that everybodies playing off the same set of changes when your up there on that band stand. Real Book or not.

[DMatthewsBand07]

I see what you guys mean about the fake books now. A friend gave me a CD that had PDFs of seven or eight different fake books. It had all three Real Books but they were all old editions. I've been learning I Hear A Rhapsody. Anyway... it wasn't inaccurate it just had some unnecessary reharmonizations.

| Cm7 F#7 | Fm7 Bb7 | Emaj7 Ab7 | Gm7b5 C7 |

I was listening to Jim Hall's version and I think it was a little more like this...

| Cm7 | Fm7 Bb7 | Emaj7 | Gm7b5 |


I get what you guys are saying now.

[JohnW400]

Yeah, That's the version in the RB that I have (I think it's first edition). If you look at the F#7 And Ab7 they are acting as tritone subs that Joe Pass uses extensively.

[DMatthewsBand07]

Yeah I sort of figured that was stuff they through in over the original changes while improvising. Pretty cool to have all the old fake books though.

[m78w]

Those changes for Rhapsody come from the Bill Evans version, great subs but definately not the original changes.

MW

[DMatthewsBand07]

Yeah I like playing the song at a fairly brisk tempo so the extra subs were getting in the way. I'll probably throw them back in once I'm a little more comfortable with the tune because I like the sound.