Customer Reviews

Irving Berlin Fake Book: C Edition (Fake Books)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Remember, this is a fake book, so it works best for those who can work in that mode. If you love the music from Astaire-Rogers movies, "Easter Parade", "Holiday Inn", "Annie Get Your Gun", or great American standards from Tin Pan Alley, then this is for you. Like the Beatles Fake Book published by Hal Leonard, the chord suggestions are well selected, fully specified, always appropriate for the corresponding passage, and will appeal to "mature" fakers. Great price too. I've gotten lots of mileage out this book.

When I received the book, of course I had to sit down at the organ and start playing. Well, I relived many movies, years, memories, and thoughts while I played the well printed pages. Some fakebooks are printed so small, with me being a senior citizen,I can't read them. Not this one tho. It has great fill in chords also. The paper and cover is made of good quality stock to last many years--just as Irving Berlin's muic has done.

The notation is way too small for comfortable sight-reading. I have tried a couple of times, but have set this book aside in favor of my Warner fake books which have a very comfortable viewing size.

I have owned this particular Irving Berlin songbook for many years now.

I have always enjoyed playing the songs from this book on the piano and have gone back to it many times since the beginning.

Many of Berlin's lesser-known (and lesser-appreciated) melodies are included. (Honestly, I don't play those so much.) But his more brilliant and best-known songs are not left out of the collection (songs such as Always, What'll I Do, Remember, A Pretty Girl Is Like A Melody, Blue Skies, Heat Wave, Puttin' On The Ritz, Cheek To Cheek, Let's Face The Music And Dance, White Christmas, They Say It's Wonderful, etc. -- too many to name!) and I think that makes this particular songbook well-worth having.

My playing style is very basic:

I play the melody line with my right hand and the chords in a simple back and forth bass with my left and am satisfied because the melodies (the obviously good ones) don't need any fancy piano-style adornment.

I recommend this to any piano player who loves Irving Berlin's songs.

Some of the page numbers are out of order in this book so if you are using it in performance and need to find something quickly, you may be out of luck!

Great collection of many of Berlin's songs. I was impressed with the good chord selections, lyrics and especially that most of them had the verse written for the tune.

This is a great little book for those of you that play piano or keyboard. The music is clearly written and lots of fun for us Berlin lovers out there who have been paying 15 dollars for one -sheets. It has the best of Berlin from "Alexander's Ragtime Band" to "There's No Business Like Show Business". I have never regretted this purchase...it's great.

Has many favorite Berlin songs arranged for guitar; but a disappointment for piano players: only has melody line, not arranged in four part harmonies.