Which real book? (not fake vs real)

[CounterpointFTW]

Ive decided to get a real book as i have started playing in a jazz combo. i have heard that the Bass clef version does not have bass lines but just the melodies written in bass clef. I can read treble clef, not as fluently but i can, and also what is included in the "C" instrument real book? also i am going to get the 6th edition.

So which book should i buy? bass clef, treble or concert C?

[Jim Carr]

Bass or Treble both are fine.

[Jim Carr]

Check this for further info:

http://www.shmuelyosef.com/GeneralMu...oks/Index.html

[DocBop]

I would get the treble clef edition because you will find yourself in situation that you will need to share your RB. Also good to keep your treble clef reading up to date.

I mainly still use my Real Book "Pacific Edition" I bought almost thirty years ago. Also checkout the Sher New Real Books you see those on gigs a lot too.

[CounterpointFTW]

ahh thanks for everyones replies, especially for the link.

i have another question, is it useful to read treble fluently as well as bass?

another thing is that im not very fluent at reading bass clef, i can hack my way through a song but not as fluent as i should be so i may just get the bass real book.

also the bass real book does not contain bass lines, only melodies correct?

[Jactap]

The Real Book for the most part only has melodies. The one I have gives the bass line for some songs. I think its if the song has a specific bass line. I'm also a clarinet player so I'm quite fluent with bass and treble clef. Alto and tenor clef, that's a different story.

[brivello]

I would get the bass clef real book. Even though it would be beneficial to be able to share your real book, It is always good to practice sight reading!!! and 99% of the reading you do on the bass, will be bass clef.

[CounterpointFTW]

ahh ok then bass clef it is as sight reading is very important. i am fluet in treble clef but on trumpet not bass, and ill expand that some later time.
thanks for all of your responses.

[Groovy Bastard]

Get the treble cleff version! For the rest of your life, if someone gives you a sheet with melody it will be in treble cleff, the basslines will be in bass clef, just like it's written in the 'standard' real book. Better get used to it now.
Also, like someone mentioned, you'll probably share the book with others, make copies from it for bandmates and if you want to become a 'serious' player you'll start playing those tunes on the piano.
I play a lot of pro jazz gigs and I've never even seen a bass cleff realbook in real life.

[Slax]

The Real book I bought was bass clef, just because at the current time I'm better at reading Bass clef. I can read treble, but it just seemed more feasible at the current moment for me.

As said before, most of the book is just the melodies. The bass line is written only when it needs to be specific. (Take that statement with a grain of salt of course. )

[MD]

Four of my seven hard copy Real Books are bass cleff. I have one of the PDF RB discs for printing copies.

I can only recall once, a guitar player needed to read off my stand. Since he didn't need to play the head, he was still able to comp and solo on the tune. I understand the idea of being able to share the book, but would still prefer bass cleff.

[E2daGGurl]

I've got digital versions of bass cleff real books (2 of them, anyway) and it's really fun to do the sight reading from them. It helps with building lines, too (I"m at the part of my line building exercises where I'm trying to incorporate some bits of melody), so it's really useful.

Let those treble cleff readers get their own real books. Ha.

[MD]

Originally Posted by E2daGGurl

I've got digital versions of bass cleff real books (2 of them, anyway) and it's really fun to do the sight reading from them. It helps with building lines, too (I"m at the part of my line building exercises where I'm trying to incorporate some bits of melody), so it's really useful.

Then you might enjoy this...
http://www.members.shaw.ca/glitch/real.html