I was taught by the old school gigging pros that charts of any kind, Realbook included, were fine for practicing at home, but when and if you attempted to join them on the stage "downtown" at the gig -- you'd better be ready to play the song without the book. I'm taling combo work and not bigband, of course.

Am recalling this one old practitioner of the art who used to say, "You gotta know it way down here" (patting his heart).

That kind of memorization changes everything, actually. Improvisation takes on a completely different aspect once you "KNOW" the target tune inside and out like that.

The memory recall of those performers was phenomenal, too. And key signature did not bother them at all. If the singer wanted Cottontail to be in the key of B Major -- that is what they played.

Work towards not needing the chart onstage.


--Mac

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