Download a Lead Sheet (Individual PDF Sheets)
To find a single lead sheet with melody, lyrics, and chords, digital retailers allow you to purchase, transpose, and download single charts instantly:
Finding Charts for Your Tunes
In jazz music, a chart is the written representation of a piece of music. Unlike classical sheet music, which typically dictates every exact note, dynamic, and articulation, a jazz chart serves as a structural framework, balancing fixed musical elements with room for improvisation.
What Is a Lead Sheet?
Common in small groups (jazz combos), a lead sheet usually fits on 1–2 pages. It contains the core essentials of a tune:
- The Melody ("The Head"): Written out in standard musical notation.
- Chord Symbols: Placed above the staff to indicate the harmonic progression.
- Basic Structure: Key signatures, time signatures, and section markers (e.g., AABA form).
Chord Charts (aka Box Charts)
A minimal version of a lead sheet that displays only the measure lines and chord progression symbols, omitting the written melody entirely. If you can't find a lead sheet in your key, a chord chart with a link to a video or audio file that demonstrates how you would like to perform the tune might work.
Where to Find & Prepare Your Charts
Buy a Vocal Real Book or Collection (Print or Digital)
If you plan to build a permanent jazz repertoire, print collections offer hundreds of standards:
-
The Real Vocal Book, Volume I
Buy at Long & McQuade (The Real Vocal Book, High Voice) -
The Real Vocal Book, Volume I
Buy at Long & McQuade (The Real Vocal Book, Low Voice) -
Vocal Standards
Buy at Long & McQuade (Vocal Standards, Low Voice)
Use the iReal Pro App (Chord Charts)
iReal Pro is widely used by jazz musicians and is a great tool for chord charts. If you can't find a lead sheet in your key, an iReal Pro chart transposed to your key works well. The app costs CAD 21.99 and is widely availble on iOS and Android.
Find a Chart on MuseScore (Community Charts)
MuseScore is free, popular music notation software. MuseScore also hosts charts that other musicians have posted. The quality of the arrangements varies, so don't hesitate to reach out and connect with us if you're not sure whether your chart is appropriate to use.
Hire a Chart Writer
These local musicians will write a chart for you for a fee:
- Ben Beaudet: benbeaudet@shaw.ca, 250-380-0356
- Heather Burns: heather@heatherburns.ca, 250.216.5623
- Tom Vickery: tblunch@hotmail.com, 250-477-0155
- Ken Seidman: kenseid4@gmail.com, 250-886-2543
- Joey Smith: joeysmith@telus.net, 250-896-0104