How to really use the Real Book / Guitar Sight Reading 101

How to really use the Real Book! I'll cover a few points to improve your sight reading. Did you ever want to just read new songs and never knew how? Here are a few tips that will help! While these tips cover jazz guitar, you can apply them to other styles of music too.

#therealbook #sightreadingguitar #jazzguitar

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[noahjustice]

Rotem is teaching me how best to open to a random page

[SirWilliamTambourine]

Instant subscribed. This channel is a goldmine

[Ayo.Ajisafe]

1. Pick a random page and comp using Shell Voicings (R 37) 1:10
2. Read the melodic rhythms and sing or clap along one line at a time. 2:30
3. Read Melody 3:35
4. Sight Read Basic Chord Melody 5:10
5. "Take the chord apart" play each chord as intervals 6ths 3rds 10ths etc. 6:29
6. Open up a random page and take a solo while you comp for yourself. 6:25
7. Play a section a few times then play it without the score. 8:25

[GlennMichaelThompson]

Lately I've seen videos that have been against using the Real Book and/or fake books in general. They have a couple of valid points; one example is that the original Real Book (1st edition) have some of the wrong changes. But personally I used the first edition with a good teacher i studied with way back when I was a teenager. I've since picked up several other fake books including newer editions of the Real Book. I've learned so much by using them in the ways you suggest as well as a few other approaches. Using the Real Book every day for years increased my knowledge in so many positive ways. Been playing and teaching music for over 40 years now and still get a lot of mileage from this and other fake books. Great lesson, and it's great to hear you endorsing its use rather than trashing it as I've witnessed others do lately. Keep up with your excellent lessons here on youtube. Best regards from Montréal, Québec, Canada. - Glenn✌😉

[Shek]

Hi Rotem, just wanted to let you know the audio in your videos recently have been excellent. You are a great teacher 👍

[rockguitarmodes]

There’s some great advice here on using the Realbook. One thing that I think is really vital is to hear some famous versions of the tune you are trying to play. I appreciate you’re working at something different here, reading, shell voicing practice etc. Imagine how easy all those charts would be to play if you’d listened and heard every one of those tunes from an early age: all the rhythms, chord changes and melodies would already be internalised

[blacksun]

Bought the real book recently, and this were some real good tips !!

[russlgtr]

Thank you, this really is what I have been looking for. The real vocal book is also a great thing for me. So great to have the words as it well. I believe chords and melody are the same, why not have the words also, I thought.
Even more magic happens when you find a singer or sing it yourself 😎

[andrevilaca]

you might not believe, but your videos are helping me a lot on bass, I started 15 years ago on guitar (due to burnout) switched a couple years ago to bass 4 strings, then 5, and maybe 6 in the near future

[taltalonix]

בדיוק מתחיל להיכנס לג׳אז וזה ממש עזר לי. תודה רבה!

[usinganear]

3:55, caught you playing that D a quarter note too short!!

Tsk tsk!!

😅 You are so much better than I am, obviously just messing around with you.. Your playing is incredible!

[pieceoffake]

This is one of the best lessons I've seen on your channel. Great practical advice

[RobertHayes-tufp]

Great stuff! The other really useful thing is to try and sight read with a metronome.

[yamacorsoglu]

Thank you so much for this very very helpful lesson Rotem !

[grinpick]

I've got a wide array of Real Books. I've had them for quite a few years. I go to them maybe two or three times a year to get a lead sheet for a particular song (no, never a random one.) Your very good lesson made me realize that those books are a resource that I need to make better use of. Well done. Thanks.

[yoshephjazz]

Eres la mejor academia para aprender guitarra jazz y lo mejor GRATIS, gracias infinitas por tu tiempo y dedicación, me encantaría oír uno de esos estándares de jazz tocado por ti completo. De nuevo gracias infinitas

[merenco]

Thank you Rotem! Just bought the Real Book again (!) and thought what a great source it is. These tips are very helpfull, hopefully finding my way (back) to jazz again.

[bumrecordingstudios]

Good video. This helps solidify tools I am working on. Kind thanks. (Even if I’m late to the viewing party on this video)

[Roger_L.]

Really good video, thanks for your sharing!!

[patrickhay]

Dude I feel like I've been waiting for this video. My Real Book got beat to hell in college, then lost when I moved to NY. A few months ago I got lucky and found a mint one for $2 at a thrift store. Looking forward to diving back into it!