Find Great, Free
Sheet Music Online
Frustrated by the
maze of sites offering free sheet music?
Sometimes it seems as if everyone in the music world has jumped online and is trying to offer a free sheet music website.
Most of them are difficult to navigate - like a maze.
Some throw everything together so it's impossible to find what you want. Some are full of pop-up ads, flashing, blinking and other annoyances.
What's a pianist to do? :-)
Simple. Use this guide to find your way out of the maze. I've been searching the internet for free sheet music sites for years! I search for music for my students and for myself. I'll share my favorites, tips & techniques to help you find what you're looking for online.
Free Sheet Music Basics
First of all, you need to understand what is actually available online. Only works that are in the
public domain, or
modern compositions freely offered by the composers themselves, are legally allowed to be offered online. Public domain means that you may freely copy, distribute, perform, and record the work.
The general rule of thumb is that a composer retains the copyright to his/her works while living. 70 years after the composer's death, the work transfers into public domain. (I am generalizing here - copyright law is extensive and detailed.)
This means that the music of Beethoven and Mozart, for instance, is public domain - but only editions that were published prior to 1922. Editions that you buy in a music store today are recently copyrighted. You cannot copy or record them.
So - you will not find the official music from the latest blockbuster movie offered for free online -- unless someone is illegally posting sheet music! Sorry.
You can, however, find personal transcriptions of some popular music, like
video game sheet music and
anime sheet music.
The good news is that there is a great deal of music in the public domain. And so much of it is available online!
What You'll Find Online
In your search for free sheet music, you'll come across several different types of sites.
A
free sheet music directory is a site that lists and categorizes
other sites that have downloadable music, which I'll call
free sheet music libraries. Sometimes they have music available, too - but most times they are simply like a free sheet music phone book.
Better directories have
clear, concise listings that are dated and reviewed. They have good search functions and have categories that make sense. They are not full of blinking, flashing ads or pop-ups. They have a clean, functional design that is easy to navigate.
Look for a nice, clean home page with obvious category links and even a brief explanation of the scope and layout of the site. If you can't make heads or tails of the home page, that's not a good sign for the quality of the music.
For my top three favorite sheet music directories, click here.
Free sheet music libraries are sites that actually have downloadable music. You download the files you want and then print them from your printer. These files can have quite a range in quality. From extremely high-quality (readable) pdf files to very poor scans of old music.
Free doesn't always mean good! Always download one file, open it, and print it to test the quality before you spend any time downloading a quantity of music from a site.
These sheet music libraries themselves vary widely. There are some sites attempting to offer literally the entire public domain - music for every instrument and voice. Other sites have a narrower focus, such as:
You may also click across
personal sites from current musicians and composers, which I'll talk about more below. Don't click away immediately - these can be absolute treasure troves of beautiful original music.
For my top three favorite sheet music libraries, click here.
From Classical To Contemporary
Of course, most music published before 1922 falls within what we generally call "classical music." What if you like more contemporary styles of music?
Many modern composers and musicians are using the internet to market themselves and their music. What does that mean for you?
Free music, that's what!
Offering samples of compositions as free sheet music allows pianists and composers to invite themselves into your music room. If you love the music, perhaps you'll be willing to go back and buy it. Right?
But it's also a way for you to broaden your repertoire and get some
terrific, unique, high-quality music without spending a dime! When your searches lead you to pages like this, take the time to explore and listen to sound clips. You may discover a jewel and help a struggling artist at the same time!
The roundup of YCPP free sheet music resources and recommendations...
Free sheet music on this site
Christmas sheet music
Celtic sheet music
Free kids piano music
Video game sheet music
Anime sheet music
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