Fake Book-Real Book - Some questions

[effinedna]

What's the difference between a fake book and a real book?
Which is best for jazz standards for guitar?
Can anyone recommend a good fake or real book for jazz standards for guitar?

Thanks

[imported_thomasross20]

Fake book is the unofficial thing, sold behind counters...
The real book is the legit one, revised and new.

Split opinions on this. I've got books 1 & 2 (realbooks, yellow and pink).

[effinedna]

Thanks for your reply Thomas.

I've just received the Jazzwise Direct catalogue, and on pages 26-27, under the heading "Fake books", there is a list of various "Real books" - seems a bit odd. However the catalogue doesn't list the content of the various books. Some contain sample bass and drum parts which I don't particularly want. I want to buy one or two - just don't know which ones.

Who publishes the real books that you mention? Do they contain chords, substitutions and melody lines?

Cheers.

[Nas]

Hi Effin,

Who publishes the real books that you mention?

http://www.shermusic.com/newrbv1.htm

I have this real book among others..

Do they contain chords, substitutions and melody lines?

Most books tell you the source of the transcription, the musician and sometimes the album. Some are direct manuscripts from the author of the tune..

As some of the tunes were past down from musician to musician and some people learned from the records but didn't get quite the written chord, they maybe have a similar chord ie Gmin for Ebmaj7. That is one of the main problems with the fake books.

[imported_adrianclark]

What's the difference between a fake book and a real book?

"Fake book" is a generic term... it just means a book of standard tunes, presented in simple "lead sheet" (ie melody and chords) style.

"The Real Book" is a well-known fake book that started out as a handwritten (and illegally copied) collection of transcriptions put together by Berklee college students in the 1970s. It's now published in legitimate form, though.


Adrian