How To Play 'Cheat Sheet' Chords?

[abrogard]

I typically use music that I think they call 'cheat sheet' - it has only a treble clef and chord symbols.

So the music says nothing about how, when to play the chord. One chord may go for three or four measures... or just one beat...

How should I best practice that? Hit the chord for every beat of the bar? Just hit it when it 'feels right' ? Just when there's a chord change? Just at the beginning of bars? Or what?

And it might make a difference what instrument I've got the thing pretending to be: Piano or organ, say. Does it? Would it?

 

[b3maniac]

I would suggest that the only good approach is to listen to every song before you try to play it with a chord chart. How you create a song from the chart is dependent upon your playing skill level, and each song will require you to adjust what and how you play to fit the song. So, a chord chart only provides a general guide to help you form the song. The rest comes from you listening closely to the song and figuring out the timing and placement of the chords. This listening and learning is a basic key part of developing your personal knowledge and skill such that you can effectively use chord charts and/or "play by ear" . Many of us do it, but it takes time to develop the skills. Good luck, Don aka B3maniac

 

[Biggles]

Refresh our memory on what keyboard you have as that will have a bearing on suggestions.

If the music does not give a clue then with a paper copy and pencil to hand play an MP3 of the song and listening to the backing mark the paper copy with each chord change. Repeat, this time checking the accuracy of your markings.

Play it again and mark the beats, this does take some practice so stick at it.

Play it again listening to where any dynamic or accentuation takes place and again mark the cheat sheet.

You will by the time you have finished the above be able to see and hear what you have to do to play the song and all without playing a note.

The next step up is the above where you start with just a lyric sheet, you determine the chords yourself by ear. Do this with the lyrics of a song you have in your Fake Book and compare your annotated cheat sheet with the book.

Practicing Transcribing which is what the above is will help you develop your listening skills.

 

[abrogard]

Thank you both for that. The instrument is a Casiotone 701. A fairly primitive thing nowadays but not as primitive as my playing

Main problem with it in this context is the inability to play loud or soft on the keys. There's a foot pedal can make the overall sound loud or soft but the keys just make the one sound.

And the three note chords I play in the left hand seem to bang and clang and overwhelm the one note melody line I'm playing in the right.

I see that most obviously when I make a recording.

The music gives a clue inasmuch as the chords are marked above the stave each chord appearing where the chord change should occur. Most commonly it might be fair to say once per bar or per 'measure' - I'm not sure which term to use.

It might be pertinent for me to add that I'm a very, very basic player, very. Down below primary school level I'd say, even, truly. KInd of limits what you might call upon me to do.

I 'play' over 200 different tunes - picking my way through them, rythm all over the place, wrong notes, missed notes... But I'd guess I don't play a single one of them better than a child in say the last year of primary school doing music would do.

Sounds awful written like that. But in fact it gives me enormous pleasure and my ability does creep forward all the time but that hardly even matters... I was very pleased when I simply picked my through them right hand only so every little bit of progress with left hand too is a boon to me.

Ever heard of Tiffany Poon? Just found her the other week.

 

[SeaGtGruff]

I think it's called a "fake" sheet-- at least, books that contain large collections of songs in that simplified style of music notation are known as "fake books." I'm under the impression that they were originally created and used by musicians who are skillful enough to fake their way through songs as long as they have the basic melody line and some indication of which chords to play when. But they can also be useful for beginners-- as long as the person is familiar with the chords used, since it's normal in such music notation to just indicate the name of a chord rather than writing out the notes of the chord.

"Bar" and "measure" are interchangeable terms, but I think there's usually a preference for using one term or the other depending on the country you're in and whether you're trying to score points with your music teacher.

 

[abrogard]

I don't know if it's allowed to mention books by name but I'll give it a go - a couple of the books I use - 'fake sheet' books - are '150 of the most beautiful songs ever' and 'the frank sinatra centennial songbook', both by hal leonard.

so simple i was almost too ashamed or snobbish or something to use them at first; note names in the note head, all transposed into the key of C. real baby stuff.

but music, sheet music, isn't that easy to find and right there I have 250 of the kind of tunes that I love and if they're so simple then clever old smart old me should be able to rage through them, right?

well of course I couldn't and can't. especially now that I try to play the chords. at first I just did the right hand. but I found them very, very rewarding because of the pleasure and I suppose nostalgia I get from those tunes.

they've taught me heaps. and that old casiotone has helped a lot. in 'fingered chord' mode. because of course I didn't know the chords but in that mode it lights a light and shows you what chord you're playing. so that accelerated my learning enormously.

so I play from them every day now. not too proud any more. quite humbled in fact. let the primary school kids rage ahead, fine with me, I'm off down memory lane...

 

[Biggles]

What is really important is that you are making music.

Playing an instrument lifts your spirits, it puts a smile on your face.

So keep playing whatever floats your boat.

You will get nothing but support here.

 

[abrogard]

Thanks for that. It's true. That's how it works for me. And thanks for the encouragement.