"Real" music or fake book?

Date: Sun, 29 Jun 2003 23:30:09 GMT
Newsgroups: rec.music.makers.piano
Size: 743 bytes

A given person wants to play some songs--popular tunes, show tunes,
Christmas music, etc. (not classical concert pieces, at least not yet).
What's the best and quickest method of study to get there?
Should one concentrate on learning to read "real" music, various keys,
chords in bass clefs, etc? Or should one get a good fake book and learn the
chords necessary for the song(s) he wishes to play and then practice the
heck out of those pieces?
Of course, from either direction, he might move toward the other one, but
this person (me) wants the most bang for the time invested.
I'm not lazy, mind you. I'm willing to put in the practice time. I just want
to know which direction will give me the most positive results given the
time invested.