Tom Waits - The Little Black Songbook: Chords/Lyrics

I gifted this book to my best friend who plays the guitar and who is a Tom Waits fan… he was very excited to get it!

This is a stripped down version of many of his songs and it is a great starting point for anyone who wants to play the music of the Great Tom Waits!

The only reason it's not 5 stars is that I wish there were more songs. That said, it's a really strong selection. The book is nice and portable, suitable for study in the world underground, flying sardine cans, and candlelit prowls in the dark woods. If you're a Tom Waits fan don't miss this - for the price, it's more than worth it. It even has a little guitar explanation at the opening, so if you want to learn guitar, there is a wealth of easy songs to practice. If you already play an instrument, I found they did a good job at including some slightly more sophisticated material, too.For those who aren't familiar with Tom Waits, some people do not like his voice at first, so this book may be a good introduction to his lyrics and song structures. I love Tom's voice, and think it suits his songs perfectly, but it can be jarring to some at first, so this book could be a good little device to familiarize yourself with the greatest American songwriter before diving into to his excellent recordings.

I'm a little torn on how the review this. On one hand, it's an amazing tool to learn some really classic Waits songs. For the price, 80 song chords/lyrics is really a great deal. But... I have a few issues with the song selection. A lot of the songs here are not really songs you'd want to play on guitar (Step Right Up, other songs with essentially no chords/melodies). But you do get a lot of the classics from throughout his career. I still wish it would have focused more on songs with interesting chord progressions/melodies. Second issue: this book is really small, so it can be hard to read from a distance, and it's also hard to keep open. I can usually weigh it down with other books to hold it open while playing. But this has slowly caused the spine to split...which is actually ok, since the vinyl cover makes it pretty durable. But in a perfect world, I'd forego the "pocketbook" size for something more practical for sitting and playing.

Wow this is a great songbook, I'd give it 6 stars if I could. I love the small format, though it might be too small for people who have trouble reading small text.I haven't used it enough to tell if the songs are all correct, but everything I've played has been impressively detailed, and using what seem to be the real chords instead of dumbing everything down to the usual easy first position stuff. Really great work.The one criticism I'd have is that I've found a couple of chord mislabellings. For example in I Hope That I Don't Fall In Love With You they call a G11 (3x321x) a G13. No biggie since the chord diagram above it is correct, and most people are going to have to look at the diagram for a G13 anyway.Fantastic work, I hope more artists release songbooks in this style.

I have been listening to Tom Waits for 35 years now, his growling voice holds a lot of memories for me. This book is a fantastic representation of his work and I since I know how most of the songs sound, I can play them on my guitar with a bit of flair.My only disappointment with this book is it’s size. If this were also available in a larger format I would snap it up in a hot flash.

I'm no guitarist by any standard. I can't read music on a scale, and I can't pick out a key from a song on the radio. But that hasn't stopped me from playing the guitars I do have as if I have some sort of talent or skill. I love this little book. I use it to cheat -- to sing Tom Waits songs loudly to spare chords and ugly baselines when my wife isn't home. It's a great little book, the chords can be used easily while you listen to a song to get a real good feeling for what it being played. Are they "right" all the time: not really. But they're far more correct than my voice, and that's all that matters. Besides, Waitsian music is meant to be slurred.

Eighty tunes in all from one of the greatest songwriters of all time, definately worth the purchase. The songs are just guitar chords and lyrics, but if you play along it's easy to figure out the timing and melody. Some of the songs are just not meant to be played on guitar, but they try to help you out, and it's nice to have a collection of the lyrics. The book is small, though packed to the gills with great tunes, and it makes a great traveling companion.

Accuracy of chords is great. Perhaps as a book is good but would be more useable in a ring binder. Maybe it's just me but it's not easy to copy or keep open.

If you're interested in the Lyrics of Tom's songs, and why wouldn't you be? This book is a must. If you're a guitarist and a Waits fan, then it's essential. As he's such a prolific songwriter, not everything is in there, but the book covers lyrics and chords to most of his classics.

Even if you don't play the guitar, it helps you get around those annoying people who post his lyrics on the internet and inevitably get them wrong. A good book for corrupting your teenage child.

Good quality printing and binding.All the songs that I wanted the lyrics for.Would rather have had just the lyrics but no complaint,Easily read in low light which I wanted.

I had lost my original version and wanted a replacement. His music is enchanting, entertaining and very alternative. The lyrics are very poignant and are worth reading as an art form in itself.