Sheet Music

Wicked Keys charts are a little different from standard classical piano notation

We keep the visual layout simple by using minimal dynamics and articulations, and largely avoiding fingering suggestions

Why?

Because contemporary playing is all about listening and improvising (even when reading off a chart), so, while you won’t find fingering suggestions you will find chord symbols on almost all of our charts - students should feel free to add extra chord tones, rhythmic comping, and movement as they see fit and work together with their teacher to decide the best finger placement

(In the RH quite often fingers 3, 4 and 5 do the legwork for the melody, leaving 1 and 2 to add chord tones)

In our lead sheets and easy piano arrangements the rhythms are largely simplified - students should be encouraged to listen to the original recordings of each song and shape their playing based on what they hear

If you are new to lead sheet playing, or are keen to learn more about playing freely as a contemporary pianist, click over to Wicked Keys Books and check out Lead Sheet 101 - it's filled to the brim with simple reading techniques, intermediate movement and chord hacks, and advanced reharmonisation techniques

It's the guide we wish we'd had

From us at Wicked Keys, happy playing!