Rating  - Warning - tiny type!
I already own Complete Scores and a 1987 "Beatles Complete", but I bought this so I would have something to use in performance, to cue me on lyrics and music without any page turns. Surprise: the arrangements are in such tiny print that it's virtually impossible to use this in performance as a fake book. You just can't read the words unless your face is only a few inches from the book, with perfect lighting. I would gladly have paid more if they'd laid out each song on 2 facing pages, but instead they usually cram 3 songs on those 2 facing pages. Compare this to the Real Book, which is thicker because it is typeset so you can actually use it in performance as a fake book.
The Beatles music? 5 stars, of course. The arrangements here? Good enough, the ones I've bothered to hunch over and read; 4 stars. The layout and usefulness of this book for its advertised purpose? 1 star.
Rating  - All the songs in a neat little package
No guitar-playing Beatles fan should be without this book. It is hands down a great fake book and well worth the money. I had to rebuy this after my other copy got soaked in a rainstorm. What I really like is that it has all the songs, most of them fit onto one page, and it sits easily on a stand. Perfect for sharing with a band or photocopying for others. My one criticism is that the chords are not always correct, though they maybe close enough in some cases. The melodies, as far as I can tell, are spot on. This is a great complement to The Beatles Complete Scores, for when you need to find out what that chord really is.
Rating  - Fabulous Fake Book
I first purchased this book about 20 years ago but it gradually wore out and I had to replace it as it is indespensable for both the professional and the novice. I highly recommend this fake book and will continue to use mine for years to come. I even bought one for my nephew who is also into the Beatles. I believe it is good for instruction as the Beatles played in many different keys. It is great for learning chords. You simply cannot go wrong with this book!
The Beatles Fake Book: C Edition (Fake Books)The Beatles Fake Book: C Edition (Fake Books)
Rating - A must have for Beatle-Loving guitar players
I'll preface by saying it's really 4-stars since it accomplishes it's purpose: it's a "Fake" book. Fake books, as I understand it, should enable you to jump right into a song and fake it. This book excels in that respect.
However, as a guitar player, if you seek perfection and want to play the songs exactly the way the Beatles played them, it's a bit off on some tunes.(Obviously, guitar solos are for the most part non-existant...not a problem)
Rent/buy the DVD of Beatles Anthology and prove it to yourself. Capo songs like, "Norwegian Wood", "Here comes the Sun", "Across the Universe", "Julia" are not indicated in this book. Furthermore, some of the the chord fingerings are not the most efficient and I'm also certain were not used by the Beatles themselves. At times, in order to fake it I found that using my personal knowledge of chords and just reading the chord name (as appposed to the finger diagram) was much simpler and sounded better.
Overall: I'm thoroughly enjoying this book and it was a great purchase.
Lyrics and chords at your fingertips in a nice ring binder format.
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Customer Reviews for Hal Leonard Corporation,0881887579,073999400694,9780881887570,0881887579,782 |
