Vocal Arrangements Explained

Presumed to be the original musical instrument, the voice has been used to produce a wide range of different sounds. Whether as a soloist or in an ensemble, accompanied or unaccompanied (a cappella), vocals have been at the center of music for millennia.

We have several different arrangement types for vocalists and we're here to walk you through the different options available. We've even hand-picked some of our favorite titles for each arrangement type to help get you started.

Piano & Vocal

Our most popular solo voice arrangement type. These arrangements feature a vocal staff, a piano staff and simple chord names above the staff. The piano part acts as an accompaniment to the vocal line. This arrangement type is perfect for solo gigging musicians who want to accompany themselves while singing. They are also great for piano and vocal duos and for auditions. Most of our Piano & Vocal arrangements are interactive, meaning that they can be transposed into the key that best suits your voice. You can also mute the vocal line to use the interactive playback as your virtual accompanist!

Recommended Piano & Vocal Sheet Music:
Shallow (from A Star Is Born), Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper
Speechless (from Disney's Aladdin), Naomi Scott
A Million Dreams (from The Greatest Showman), Pasek & Paul
She Used to Be Mine (from Waitress), Sara Bareilles
You Say, Lauren Daigle

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Vocal Pro + Guitar/Piano | Piano, Vocal & Guitar Chords

These two arrangement types are similar to Piano & Vocal (the piano part acts as an accompaniment to the vocal line), but with the added bonus of custom chord diagrams above the staff so you can add a guitar into the mix. These chord diagrams have been optimized for guitar players, making sure they flow well and still capture the essence of the song. Where appropriate, capo positions with related chords are included to make the song easier to play. Not to be confused with Piano, Vocal & Guitar Chords (Right-Hand Melody), where the vocal melody is doubled in the right-hand of the piano.

Recommended Vocal Pro + Guitar/Piano Sheet Music:
Lost Boy, Ruth B
All of Me, John Legend
Waving Through a Window (from Dear Evan Hansen), Pasek & Paul
Can't Help Falling In Love, Elvis Presley
A Thousand Years, Christina Perri

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Recommended Piano, Vocal & Guitar Chords Sheet Music:
Your Song, Elton John
Hallelujah, Leonard Cohen
Don't Stop Believin', Journey
Make You Feel My Love, Adele
Don't Stop Me Now, Queen

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Pro Vocal

Pro Vocal comprises simple arrangements that contain the lyrics, melody line and chord symbols for the most popular songs in our catalog. These arrangements are always in the original recorded key and are ideal if you’re preparing for an audition or performance and you don’t require the accompaniment. They’re also perfect for karaoke singers.

Recommended Pro Vocal Sheet Music:
Bohemian Rhapsody, Queen
She Walks This Earth, Sting
Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be), Doris Day
For Good (from Wicked), Stephen Schwartz
The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, Roberta Flack

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Vocal Duet

Very much like our Piano & Vocal arrangements, but for two singers! These arrangements feature two separate vocal staves, a piano staff and simple chord names above the staff. As with our Piano & Vocal arrangements, the piano part acts as an accompaniment to the vocal duet.

Recommended Vocal Duet Sheet Music:
Ave Maria, Franz Schubert
Flower Duet, Leo Delibes
A Whole New World (from Aladdin), Peabo Bryson and Regina Belle
Laudate Dominum, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Perhaps Love, John Denver and Placido Domingo

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Lead Sheet / Fake Book

Lead Sheet (otherwise known as Fake Book) arrangements are designed for musicians to quickly learn and perform new songs with all the basics covered. These arrangements feature the melody line, chord symbols, and lyrics where appropriate. A certain level of musicianship is necessary in order to play from lead sheet arrangements, but they are extremely versatile arrangements for gigging musicians.

Recommended Lead Sheet / Fake Book Sheet Music:
Perfect, Ed Sheeran
A Thousand Years, Christina Perri
St. Louis Blues, W.C. Handy
Bohemian Rhapsody, Queen
The Rose, Bette Midler

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Lyrics

Simply put, these are editorially-proofed lyric sheets to download instantly. With the web awash with un-proofed and often inaccurate song lyrics, these are the real deal.

Recommended Lyrics Titles:
A Thousand Miles, Vanessa Carlton
Songbird, Eva Cassidy
Your Song, Elton John
Santa Baby, Eartha Kitt
Beautiful, Christina Aguilera

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Vocal Audio Backing Tracks

Our vocal audio backing tracks are professionally-recorded soundalike backing tracks with just the lead vocal removed. Whether you’re preparing for an audition, a performance, or you’re just wanting to sing along in the comfort of your own home, these backing tracks are the ideal tool for those without an accompanist!

Recommended Vocal Audio Backing Tracks:
Angel, Sarah McLachlan
You Raise Me Up, Westlife
I'm Kissing You, Des'ree
Midnight Train to Georgia, Gladys Knight & The Pips
Hero, Mariah Carey

Browse All Vocal Audio Backing Tracks

From the newest releases to award-winning bestsellers and everything in between, Sheet Music Direct provides accurate, affordable arrangements for all your favorite songs available to download and play instantly. Powered by Hal Leonard, the world's largest sheet music publisher.