Hal Leonard Corporation
Hal Leonard Corporation The Real Blues Book C Instruments
★★★★★
A 707-page fake book featuring 300 blues classics in hand-written notation for C instruments.
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Overview
The Ultimate Blues Compendium for Musicians
Dive into the heart of the blues with "The Real Blues Book: C Instruments." This comprehensive fake book contains 300 blues classics, arranged accurately in the renowned easy-to-read, hand-written notation. Perfect for gigging musicians and blues enthusiasts alike.
- Instrument: C Instruments
- Format: Fake Book
- Publisher: Hal Leonard
- Publication Date: January 1, 2011
- Language: English
- Length: 707 pages
Pros & Cons
👍 Pros
- Contains 300 blues standards in a single volume, providing an extensive gigging and practice repertoire.
- Hand-written notation style is clean and easy to sight-read, consistent with the trusted Real Book series format.
- At 707 pages, it offers substantial value and breadth for blues musicians building their repertoire.
- Fake book format encourages improvisation and personal interpretation rather than rigid arrangements.
- Published by Hal Leonard, ensuring reliable accuracy in melody transcription and chord voicings.
👎 Cons
- Only includes C instrument parts, so transposing players need a separate edition.
- Fake book format provides lead sheets only — no full arrangements, harmonizations, or backing parts.
- The 707-page length makes the physical book bulky and heavy to carry to gigs.
- Does not include instructional content, background notes, or guidance on blues performance style.
- Hand-written notation, while traditional for fake books, may feel less crisp than typeset engraving to some readers.
Frequently Asked Questions
What instruments can use this edition of The Real Blues Book?
This edition is written for C instruments, which includes piano, guitar, flute, violin, oboe, and any other instrument that reads concert pitch. Separate editions exist for Bb and Eb transposing instruments.
What does "fake book" format mean in practice?
A fake book provides the melody line, lyrics (where applicable), and chord symbols for each song. It gives you the framework of the tune and expects you to interpret the accompaniment, making it ideal for jam sessions and gigs where musicians improvise around the lead sheet.
Are the arrangements in standard notation or tablature?
All 300 songs are presented in standard musical notation using the hand-written engraving style that the Real Book series is known for. There is no tablature included.
Is this book suitable for beginners learning blues?
The book assumes basic music reading ability and familiarity with chord symbols. It is a performance reference rather than an instructional method book, so complete beginners may want to develop foundational reading skills first.
How are the 300 songs organized in the book?
The songs are arranged alphabetically by title, following the standard Real Book convention, making it quick to locate specific tunes during a gig or rehearsal.
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