Here’s what I start with—and what I turn it into.
Below are the same eight bars of “Someone to Watch Over Me”: first, the lead sheet from a fake book showing just the melody and chord symbols; then my solo-piano arrangement using what I call the 2+2 Chord Method.
The idea is simple: two notes in the left hand and two in the right, with the melody always on top. With just four notes, you can turn the melody and chord symbols in a fake book into a complete solo-piano arrangement.
The larger goal is to learn how to create your own arrangements spontaneously from a lead sheet—not just memorize a written arrangement.
If anyone is interested in learning more about the approach, I have the complete arrangement, more than 1,500 other solo-piano arrangements, and lessons on arranging from a fake book and improvising on my Patreon:
www.Patreon.com/HarryLikas 