The Importance of Lead Sheets in Music
What I wish I knew when first playing with a band.
Unknown Unknowns
When I was playing in a band back in the 90s one of the things that always bugged me was when someone would ask, “so what songs do you know?” If you’re asking, then we probably know different songs. With no common ground to stand on it was difficult to find something to play. At times I would suggest starting a beat with someone playing a few chords or a riff. That way we could improve and build a song. In retrospect this was never going to work. If you’re asking what songs I know, then you’re relying on a pre-written song to play, and improvising is not going to happen. A solution to this problem would be to pick a song that is at least familiar and write it out. Even an abbreviated version of a song makes a huge impact. This is where lead sheets come in.
A lead sheet can be thought of as a written song with just the important parts notated. We don’t need to write out every rhythm mark and note. All this is required are the parts of the song that the player needs. For a drummer this could be the form and grooves. A punk rock guitarist might need the chords, what chords are repeated, and when. A vocalist might need the words, main melody, and knowledge of when not to sing.
There are plenty of ways to create a lead sheet, but there are also some things that you should keep in mind when making a lead sheet. Let’s check out a few things that can help make your lead sheets more effective.
Melody vs Chords
When we play a song, we often use chords to help us define parts of the song. The verse, bridge, and chorus can all be defined by a progression of chords. This is an easy trap to fall into.
The reality is that the melody defines the chords. A song’s melody takes precedence, and the chords are there to support the melody. If you are a solo musician that does not sing, then you only have your instrument to tell a song’s story. Playing just the chords to a rhythm may get you close to sounding like the song you are playing, but your listener may not understand it. Think of playing the melody of the lyrics in “Imagine” by John Lennon. Your listener will likely know what song you are playing. You can then play select chords to help support the melody and give your listener the information they need to know what you are playing.
Be sure to focus on important melodies when thinking about chords in a lead sheet. Writing out all the chords by name is great, but without the important melodic phrases we lose the context of the song. Even rock guitarists that are pounding out power chords have riffs, which are the melodies of the rhythm section. Be sure to notate your riffs and any other melodies on your lead sheets as they will be the focal points of your part in a song.
The Form of a Song
Writing out a song in parts can help you to compartmentalize the overall structure. An intro, verse, bridge, pre-chorus, chorus, post-chorus, solo, and outro are all ways to break a song down into groups. But there is another way to handle this.
Intros and outros are usually their own little worlds and can be left alone. Once we get past the intro, we get into things like Verse 1, Pre-Chorus 1, and Chorus 1. Then we repeat these parts for Verse 2, Pre-Chorus 2, and Chorus 2. Instead of writing all of this out we can simply call it the A section. This condenses Verse 1 all the way through Chorus 2 into “The A Section x2”.
Then we can move on to the Bridge, Solo, and then move into Chorus 3 as the B section. The song can then repeat everything in the A section and then move to the Outro. This allows the entire song to be handled as “Intro, A x2, B x1, A x1, Outro”.
Using the form of a song also helps us memorize it better. We can learn what the A and B sections are, practice them as individual parts, and then use them when it is time to do so. It also allows us to write more effectively. We can always modify that last use of the A section to play the chorus twice at the end. But how do we name that section? A Type II? The A + Chorus Section? The C Section?
Personal Choices
In the end all lead sheets are made for the player. If calling a part of the A + Chorus Section helps the player, then use that name. Just keep in mind that when you write a lead sheet for someone else you should not assume that your naming conventions are what is best. When in doubt, go with what the player knows.
It may seem counterintuitive to make up your own ways of writing music when there is already a rich history on the subject. What I am saying is that lead sheets are shorthand versions of songs, so don’t over think it. Stick to the basics and write in only what is truly important. If a song is in 4/4 timing and everyone knows this from listening to the song plenty of times, then don’t write down “4/4”. If everyone knows the chords and melodies, then writing down the key signature won’t change anything.
Things like key signatures do come in handy when your band is playing a popular song that could be played in multiple keys like “The Girl from Ipanema”. That song is played in the key of F in American Jazz schools, but the original song is in Db. Then come the saxophone players who play the song in Bb because tenor and soprano saxophones are tuned to the key of Bb.
If you want to take a deep dive into a song and write out every intricate part, then go for it. If you want to play a song, then make a lead sheet. It really is that simple. I have a book of 80 Christmas songs that I wrote out, but it is really a book of lead sheets. My book tells me what I need to know to play a song on guitar. If the lyrics carry the melody, then I don’t have a melody written down. If the song has not lyrics, then the lead sheet is full of melodic lines for guitar.
As you write out your own lead sheets be sure to learn from others. Knowing the process of how another musician creates their own lead sheets can help you to customize your own for each song. Check out the video below to see how a pro like Gregg Bissonette does this and let us all know how your own process works in the comments below.
Thanks for reading.
