If you are completely new to music and music reading, you may want to consider starting with a book from the Easy Fake Book series. All of the books below feature large musical notation, simple melodies and harmonies, and are written in the key of C. Books listed here cover a specified time period. Easy books by type of music -- e.g. Gospel, Country, Latin -- are listed under the "Easy - Type" button.

Easy Early Songs Fake Book

100 tunes from the early 1900s, with complete lyrics and simplified, yet authentic chords. Includes:

Alexander's Ragtime Band * All by Myself * Anchors Aweigh * Beale Street Blues * Casey Jones * Chicago (That Toddlin' Town) * Danny Boy * The Entertainer * The Glow Worm * Harrigan * Hello! Ma Baby * I Love You Truly * Let Me Call You Sweetheart * Maple Leaf Rag * My Melancholy Baby * My Wild Irish Rose * Peg O' My Heart * Second Hand Rose * Toyland * Yankee Doodle Boy * and more!

Hal Leonard, $19.99, ISBN-13: 9781423463962, 100 songs, 136pp, Jul '09

The Easy Twenties Fake Book

100 classic golden oldies presented in larger-than-most fake book notation with simplified harmonies and melodies. Titles include:

Ain't Misbehavin' * Ain't She Sweet * Baby Face * The Birth of the Blues * Blue Skies * Bye Bye Blackbird * California, Here I Come * Everybody Loves My Baby * Five Foot Two, Eyes of Blue * Honeysuckle Rose * I'm Looking over a Four Leaf Clover * If You Knew Susie (Like I Know Susie) * Indian Love Call * Let a Smile Be Your Umbrella * Makin' Whoopee! * My Blue Heaven * Puttin' on the Ritz * Stardust * Who's Sorry Now * Yes Sir, That's My Baby * Yes! We Have No Bananas * and more.

Hal Leonard, $19.99, ISBN-13: 9781423463917, 100 songs, 120pp, Aug '09


The Easy Thirties Fake Book

100 beloved songs from the 1930s, all in the key of C, with melody, lyrics and simplified chords in large notation. Includes:

All of Me * Blame It on My Youth * Body and Soul * Easter Parade * The Glory of Love * I Wanna Be Loved * It's De-Lovely * The Lady Is a Tramp * Lazy River * The Nearness of You * Mood Indiglo * Stardust * The Very Thought of You * What's New? * Where or When * and many more.

Hal Leonard, $19.99, ISBN-13: 9781423463900, 100 songs, 224pp, Nov '09


The Easy Forties Fake Book

This '40s edition includes:

Ac-cent-tchu-ate the Positive · The Anniversary Waltz · Be Careful, It's My Heart · Besame Mucho · Bewitched · Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy · Come Rain or Come Shine · Don't Get Around Much Anymore · Easy Street · Frenesi · Harlem Nocturne · How High the Moon · I Got It Bad and That Ain't Good · I'll Remember April · It Could Happen to You · Java Jive · Love Letters · Mairzy Doats · Moonlight in Vermont · A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square · On a Slow Boat to China · Sentimental Journey · Stella by Starlight · Tangerine · and dozens more.

Hal Leonard, $19.95, ISBN-13: 9780634088230, 100 songs, 126pp, Jul '04


More of the Easy Forties Fake Book

100 more favorites from the 1940s arranged in the key of "C" with larger-than-most fake book notation, lyrics, and simplified harmonies and melodies. Includes:

Angel Eyes · Anniversary Song ยท · Anything You Can Do · Baby, It's Cold Outside · But Beautiful · Caldonia · Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend · Do Nothin' Till You Hear from Me · Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans · The Frim Fram Sauce · I Ain't Got Nothin' but the Blues · I Could Write a Book · It Might As Well Be Spring · It's a Grand Night for Singing · Lost in the Stars · Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin' · Once in Love with Amy · Red Roses for a Blue Lady · Sioux City Sue · Take the "A" Train · Violets for Your Furs · Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah · and more.

Hal Leonard, $19.95, ISBN-13: 9781423419815, 100 songs, 198pp, May '07


The Easy Fifties Fake Book

This series of beginning fake books for players new to "faking" includes: 100 memorable songs, all in the key of C, lyrics, chords which have been simplified, but remain true to each tune, and easy-to-read, large music notation. Songs include:

Autumn Leaves · Chantilly Lace · Don't Be Cruel · Great Balls of Fire · Kansas City · Love and Marriage · Mister Sandman · Mona Lisa · Smoke Gets in Your Eyes · Tennessee Waltz · Unchained Melody · Your Cheatin' Heart · and dozens more.

Hal Leonard, $19.95, ISBN-13: 9780634091223, 100 songs, 208pp, Jun '05


More of the Easy Fifties Fake Book

100 more favorites from the 1950s arranged in the key of "C" with larger-than-most fake book notation, and simplified harmonies and melodies. Includes:

All Shook Up · Blue Suede Shoes · Book of Love · Chances Are · Do You Want to Dance? · High Hopes · I Can't Help It (If I'm Still in Love with You) · Jailhouse Rock · Memories Are Made of This · My Prayer · Sixteen Tons · A Teenager in Love · Tequila · Walkin' After Midnight · Why Do Fools Fall in Love · Young Love · and more.

Hal Leonard, $19.95, ISBN-13: 9781423419822, 100 songs, 198pp, Jan '07


The Easy Sixties Fake Book

This series of beginning fake books for players new to "faking" includes: 100 memorable songs, all in the key of C, lyrics, chords which have been simplified, but remain true to each tune, easy-to-read, large music notation. 100 songs from the '60s:

Baby Love · Dancing in the Street · The Girl from Ipanema · Good Vibrations · Hey Jude · I Heard It Through the Grapevine · Leaving on a Jet Plane · Respect · (Sittin' On) the Dock of the Bay · Soul Man · Turn! Turn! Turn! · and more.

Hal Leonard, $19.95, ISBN-13: 9780634090295, 100 songs, 208pp, Jul '05


More of the Easy Sixties Fake Book

100 more favorites from the 1960s arranged in the key of "C" with larger-than-most fake book notation, and simplified harmonies and melodies. Includes:

Alfie · Big Girls Don't Cry · Breaking up Is Hard to Do · California Dreamin' · Daydream Believer · Duke of Earl · Georgia on My Mind · Hang on Sloopy · Hello Mary Lou · It's My Party · King of the Road · Last Train to Clarksville · My Guy · She Loves You · Stop! in the Name of Love · Surfin' U.S.A. · A Time for Us · Twist and Shout · Under the Boardwalk · Wooly Bully · and more.

Hal Leonard, $19.95, ISBN-13: 9781423419846, 100 songs, 200pp, Jan '07


The Easy Seventies Fake Book

This series of beginning fake books for players new to "faking" includes: 100 memorable songs, all in the key of C, lyrics, chords which have been simplified, but remain true to each tune, easy-to-read, large music notation. Songs from the '70s edition include:

American Pie · Baby, I Love Your Way · Crocodile Rock · Drift Away · Free Bird · I'll Take You There · Joy to the World · Let It Be · My Way · Stayin' Alive · Wonderful Tonight · Y.M.C.A. · dozens more.

Hal Leonard, $19.95, ISBN-13: 9780634091247, 100 songs, 260pp, Jul '05


More of the Easy Seventies Fake Book

100 more memorable '70s hits arranged in the key of "C" with larger-than-most fake book notation, lyrics and simplified chords that remain true to each tune. Includes:

After the Lovin' · Alone Again Naturally · At Seventeen · Bennie and the Jets · Billy, Don't Be a Hero · Copacabana · Da Ya Think I'm Sexy · Dancing Queen · Dust in the Wind · Feelings · Fire and Rain · I Shot the Sheriff · Imagine · Killing Me Softly with His Song · The Long and Winding Road · Maggie May · Smoke on the Water · Still · Sweet Home Alabama · The Way We Were · You Light up My Life · You're So Vain · and more.

Hal Leonard, $19.95, ISBN-13: 9781423419860, 100 songs, 238pp, May '07


The Easy '80s Fake Book

100 '80s favorites, all made easy-to-play with simplified, yet authentic-sounding chords and complete lyrics. Includes:

After the Lovin' · Against the Wind * Brass in Pocket * Call Me * Down Under * Endless Love * Footloose * Gloria * Hello * Hurts So Good * Jessie's Girl * Jump * Rebel Yell * Southern Cross * Thriller * Time After Time * We Are the World * and dozens more!

Hal Leonard, $16.80, ISBN-13: 978-1423469414, 100 songs, 256pp, Apr '10.


This page updated on February 16, 2024 .