Draw a treble clef at the beginning of each staff on your music staff paper. Do this by copying the symbol from the original sheet music. The treble clef appears on the top staff. A bass clef is not needed when you are composing piano lead sheets. Write in any sharps and flats included next to the treble clef on the original sheet music onto your paper. Draw these in the relevant positions to the right of the treble clef symbol on each staff. Remember that the specific line on which the sharp or flat symbol sits is very important.
Copy the time signature from your original piece of piano sheet music onto your music staff paper. This should be to the right of the treble clef and any sharp of flat symbols. Most pieces of music will use a “C” or “4/4” symbol to indicate common time. Other time signatures are possible, however.
Write the melody, located on the treble clef staff of the traditional music, on your lead sheet staff exactly in the way it is written on the original sheet music. Write the music down in exactly the same positions as on the original sheet music, and draw each note in exactly the same way. Remember that different types of notes have slightly different appearances.
Determine which chords to include in each bar. Look at the specific notes written on the bass clef of the original sheet music. Remember that the bottom line represents the note G, the space above that represents A, the second line up is B and so on in that fashion. Identify all of the notes and then think of which chord it is related to. For example, the first bass part in Beethoven’s “Fur Elise” is composed of the notes, A, E and A, which are components of the A minor chord. If any notes are in the same vertical line on the bass staff, this is likely to be the required chord.
Write the name of the chords over the section of melody that they accompany. Ordinarily, one chord will have an entire bar set aside for it, but some bars do contain more than one chord. Familiarize yourself with music chords and scales to help you determine which notes are in which chord. Write the chords in shortened form. For example, write A minor as “Am.” Write the chords in this way directly above the staff when they should begin.