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The Real Book: Bass Clef - which edition?

#2
The original, illegal Real Book came out of Berklee in the early 1970s. Over the years, there were 5 editions. When Hal Leonard obtain the right to many of the songs and published a legal version in 2004, it called it "The Real Book, Sixth Edition." Leonard didn't get rights to all of the songs that were in the original Real Book, so there are some songs that were in the original that aren't in the Hal Leonard and vice versa, but most of the songs from the original Real Book were in the Hal Leonard version.

Leonard subsequently put out additional volumes of the Real Book, but those are new books in the series, not new editions of the original Real Book. As far as I know, the "Real Book, Sixth Edition" published in 2004 is still the current edition of that volume.
 
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#3
Febs said:
The original, illegal Real Book came out of Berklee in the early 1970s. Over the years, there were 5 editions. When Hal Leonard obtain the right to many of the songs and published a legal version in 2004, it called it "The Real Book, Sixth Edition." Leonard didn't get rights to all of the songs that were in the original Real Book, so there are some songs that were in the original that aren't in the Hal Leonard and vice versa, but most of the songs from the original Real Book were in the Hal Leonard version.

Leonard subsequently put out additional volumes of the Real Book, but those are new books in the series, not new editions of the original Real Book. As far as I know, the "Real Book, Sixth Edition" published in 2004 is still the current edition of that volume.
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Ahh, that makes sense.

So were the original 5 illegal books built upon the previous editions (ie, containing all songs plus some new ones), or were they different songbooks?

Essentially I want the one with the most standards.
 
#4
Matthew_84 said:
Ahh, that makes sense.

So were the original 5 illegal books built upon the previous editions (ie, containing all songs plus some new ones), or were they different songbooks?

Essentially I want the one with the most standards.
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My recollection is that they were different editions of the same book, with some corrections so that by the time the 5th edition came out, some of the more egregious mistakes in the earlier editions had been corrected. The 5th edition was the go-to version from probably the early 80s until the Hal Leonard version came out in 2004, and for a while after that, though I think the Leonard 6th edition has become more popular over time.
 
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#5
Febs said:
My recollection is that they were different editions of the same book, with some corrections so that by the time the 5th edition came out, some of the more egregious mistakes in the earlier editions had been corrected. The 5th edition was the go-to version from probably the early 80s until the Hal Leonard version came out in 2004, and for a while after that, though I think the Leonard 6th edition has become more popular over time.
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K, great. Thanks!
 
#7
Get the treble version. Practice bass clef on other charts.
if you want to read, learn both bass and treble clefs.
Get a teacher that knows harmony because regardless of the version many of the chord progressions are either oversimplified or just plain have mistakes in them. My book (i have no clue what edition it is, late 90s,) is so full of pencil corrections it’s crazy. Get ready to learn chords subs buddy.
 
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#8
Little warning. The 6th edition is the song's tune (melody) in bass clef instead of being in treble clef. I did not really want the tune, I wanted the bass line that goes with that tune, i.e. what I should use as a bass line with that song. Sorry, if you want THE BASS LINE best thing I can offer is to follow the chords, which are given, and play notes of the active chord, to the beat of the song.

If you are looking for a bass line take the sheet music given, but, follow the chords. Starting with pounding roots. Then do roots on the first beat and the 5th on the 3nd beat. After that add the correct 3 and 7 and the 8 is just the root in the next octave and always fits, i.e. R-5-8-5 is a basic dirt simple bass line you could use by following the chords show on the sheet music and changing them as the chords change...

Find the root, where is the 5? Up a string and over two frets, or down a string same fret as the root. Where is the 8? Next string up from the 5th same fret.

Just a friendly warning.
 
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#9
Malcolm35 said:
Little warning. The 6th edition is the song's tune (melody) in bass clef instead of being in treble clef. I did not really want the tune, I wanted the bass line that goes with that tune, i.e. what I should use as a bass line with that song. Sorry, if you want THE BASS LINE best thing I can offer is to follow the chords, which are given, and play notes of the active chord, to the beat of the song.

If you are looking for a bass line take the sheet music given, but, follow the chords. Starting with pounding roots. Then do roots on the first beat and the 5th on the 3nd beat. After that add the correct 3 and 7 and the 8 is just the root in the next octave and always fits, i.e. R-5-8-5 is a basic dirt simple bass line you could use by following the chords show on the sheet music and changing them as the chords change...

Find the root, where is the 5? Up a string and over two frets, or down a string same fret as the root. Where is the 8? Next string up from the 5th same fret.

Just a friendly warning.
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I appreciate that. I’m okay with this. Truthfully, I just want them for the chord sheets. I’m going to start studying (and transcribing) a few standards after I work through Walking Bassics, and will then start looking to find people to jam with, so I just want this to know the chords for song song I haven’t learnt yet.

It’s also a little premature to get this (likely won’t be jamming for a few months), but my wife is asking what I want for Christmas, and what I really want/need is an amp, but I don’t want to get one yet (just started playing again after a roughly two year break and want to make sure I’m sticking with it before spending big bucks), so I just want something small so she can still get me something that I’ll use, without breaking the bank.
 
#11
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#13
Save your money. All versions of this book are pretty mediocre.
My 2¢ would be: if you want a binder of written transcriptions; either transcribe chord sheets, melodies, bass lines, roman numerals, [and tabs if you want], yourself of tunes you really need, whether rock, jazz, country, whatever, and put them in a three ring binder.
If you want a sheet of the songs you want/need to know, write them down as you learn them.

The trouble I've found with the Real Books is only about a third of them are truly standards and, as many will tell you, the chords and progressions in those are questionable or out and out wrong. A lot of songs you've never heard of and nobody calls out.
If you absolutely insist on needing to buy something for gigging, I would recommend the little pocket books which just contain chords. But, again, a lot of these progressions are copied from The Real Book. BUT the pocket books also contain a lot more standard songs.

If you insist on buying a Real Book, I recommend the treble version and learn to sight read the melodies in treble clef. Good practice and a good skill to develope.

Again all this is my 2¢. peace
 
#14
ryco said:
…..If you absolutely insist on needing to buy something for gigging, I would recommend the little pocket books which just contain chords. But, again, a lot of these progressions are copied from The Real Book.
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Google can call up fake chord sheet music on just about anything you may want. Use these search words: chords, name of the song.

Fake chord gives the lyrics and the chords that are active over those specific chords. Follow the chords/lyrics and you will be with the rest of the band.

Lock with the drummer and drop into a groove with you favorite R-5-8-5 generic bass line. If you need more than this you are getting paid to play, if it's just you and the guys doing it for fun as a hobby, fake chord was what everyone I played with used.

So your decision, but, if you have not looked at fake chord I do recommend it. Why is it called fake. You are given the chords and lyrics and you fake the rest.
 
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#18
I bought the C version, treble Clef, 5th Ed back when I was a music major. Still have it and it has thousands of gigs on it.

Most good horn players can read in C or Bb. Of course guitar or keys will read natively in C. So IMHO the C treble version is the most useful version. It's also useful to brush up on reading treble clef from time to time. If you are going to be a pro, you really should be able to read both.

There were additional volume as well. I think I have Volume II and maybe Volume III packed away in boxes somewhere. I have never used them on a gig, but I have played a few tunes out of these volumes. I have a few photocopies that are inserted loosely in Volume I.
 
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#20
Get the regular concert C treble clef version. You're probably not going to want to learn melodies in bass clef and you really just need the chords for bass lines and comping, and chords don't care about clef.

6th Edition is great, and legal.

If you really want a 5th edition, there's PDFs on the internets you can find and download.

There were some omissions and additions from 5th to 6th editions due to licencing. There's a list somewhere I saw once, but I'm sure you could google it.
 
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