Classical Fake Book: Over 850 Classical Themes and Melodies (Fake Books) [Plastic Comb]

This book is very comprehensive, and contains most of the major works of classical music. Since it is a fake book, it does not contain the complete score, but only the melody line with chords marked above the notes. The words/lyrics are included for the vocals, and double-stops where it appears in the original. Also, unlike some other fake books, the compositions appear in their original key. It is both an excellent reference to music appreciation students, concert goers and instrumental students as well as a source of material for beginning music students. Many of the themes can be used in student recitals.

The book is plastic tabbed bound, but since it is over 600 pages long it is somewhat difficult to get the pages placed flatly. It also does not feel like it would be that durable because both the plastic tabs may break, or the slots on the pages would easily be torn. The size of the notes is also smaller than most music books. But for the price paid, this book gives good value as there are over 850 classical themes and melodies in one place.

I hate giving bad reviews, but sometimes a product is so unprofessional that it deserves a strong warning.

I'm a saxophonist in a wedding band and play 50+ dates a year. Sometimes we play the ceremony on flute + piano so I need a classical fake book to play the processional and recessional they request.

This book should have been perfect for the job, but it is so deeply flawed that I'm throwing it in the recycle bin and looking for a different one.

First of all, the transcriptions are riddled with errors. These charts were not play-tested before publication (and this is the SECOND edition!).
Air On The G String: wrong notes in bar 3, bar 8, and bar 16
Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring: wrong note in bar 50
Wedding March: wrong notes in bar 6 and bar 10
These are just the mistakes I found on my first gig! In my second gig, I found wrong notes in bars 6 and 10 of Mendelssohn's Wedding March. This book has become a running joke in my band: when someone plays a wrong note, it's "I must been reading off the sax player's classical fake book!"

The book also lacks several convenience features that a professional will miss:
- the bars are not numbered

- this 646 page book (sadly, it's quantity not quality) is comb-bound instead of spiral bound, so it won't lie flat and it is cumbersome on a music stand

- the pages are larger than 8.5x11, so if you want to take out your most-used pages to put plastic sleeves in a 3-ring binder (a must for windy outdoor ceremonies), you are out of luck. This is probably an anti-piracy feature, which I sympathize with, although why anyone would want to steal from such a sloppily edited book is beyond me

- alphabetized by composer. I'm sure this makes sense for real classical musicians, who might think: "Babes In Toyland...oh that's by Victor Herbert, I'll just flip to the H section". But for a musician unfamiliar with the repertoire, your only choice is to go to (one of the many) tables of contents, making it cumbersome to find the tune you're looking for. It's a drag when the piano player calls a tune and you can't just flip to the right section.

This book is a great pleasure. As a piano teacher, I've found that it provides fun for my young students. They can thumb through it and play page after page of marvelous classical melodies, incorporating their own chords. That's a great introduction to classical pieces which stimulates their interest in the original versions.

Some pianists may turn up their noses at the idea of a classsical fake book, but I'd point out that many of these pieces were originally written for orchestra, or--in the case of the older ones--for harpsichord, clavichord, organ, and so on. Some are taken from operas. Indeed, many of the classical works we use with our students are arrangements rather than ur-texts.

My students and I often laugh at the term "fake book"; especially for the keyboard players, these books would be more accurately named "creative books." The performer is called upon to provide his/her own harmony arrangements and rhythmic patterns. For talented musicians, "fake books" are a great opportunity for creative expression. That said, it must also be emphasized that students must have a strong foundation in piano basics, and that the teaching of ur-texts is vital for any student.

We love the "Classical Fake Book"---a hoot and a half! Highly recommended.