A
fake book is a collection of musical
lead sheets intended to help a performer quickly learn new songs. Each song in a fake book contains the
melody line, basic
chords and sometimes
lyrics - the minimal information needed by a
musician to make an impromptu arrangement of a song, or "fake it". The fake book is a central part of the culture of playing
music in public, especially in
jazz, where
improvisation is particularly valued. Fake books are not intended for novices: the reader must follow and interpret the scant notation, and generally needs to have thorough familiarity with chords and sheet music. Fake books are often bound.