I often get asked where I go online for music. There seems to be so much free music on the web, it’s hard to know where to start looking (and it’s often hard to tell which sites are legal!).
I often get asked where I go online for music.
There seems to be so much free music on the web, it’s hard to know where to start looking (and it’s often hard to tell which sites are legal!).
Here are the places that I go for sheet music online:
IMSLP Library – My go-to classical resource. The best resource for out-of-print classical music.
G Major Music Theory – Cool beginner music arrangements for free. I use these lots with my beginners and even beginner teens who like to play music that they’ve heard before.
Music for Music Teachers – Similar site to the one above with good free beginner arrangements of famous tunes. Ignore the Google Ads at the top of the page and just click the links to the pieces below.
Sheet Music Fox – Collection of classical piano/organ works. They also have an app!
Music Notes – This is one of my go-to sites for teaching pop music. Complete range of downloadable sheets that is regularly updated.
Noviscore – is a new player in the market and they differentiate themselves by offering three levels of difficulty of each piece, specially arranged by a small team of pianists. The arrangements are very good and they also offer accompaniment arrangements (eg. if you’re accompanying a singer or you’re teaching your students how to do this) and parts for instruments in different keys. If you’ve got students wanting to play film and pop, check out this site.
Ultimate-Guitar – This is the place to go for chords when you can’t find the sheet music!
Sheet Music Plus – This site will be familiar to most teachers as they have just about everything and now offer PDF downloads.
My blogging friend Amanda Smith (did you read her article: 5 Steps to Avoiding a Piano Teaching Rut?) runs a blog called Modern Music Teaching which has an excellent page of free sheet music links. Make sure you check out the rest of her resources while you’re there.
What great sites have I missed? Leave your thoughts below.
Peggy says:
Hi Tim,
http://www.pianostreet.com is also a good resource too!
Regards
Peggy
Bradley A Sowash says:
Hi everyone,
Some of you may not be aware that living composers benefit more if you buy their publications directly from their websites rather than from online retailers. You’ll pay the same but the composer makes a bit more and perhaps gets to know you a bit. Everybody wins!
Thanks,
Bradley Sowash
Carol Matz says:
Hey Tim and friends,
The folks at Online Sheet Music (onlinesheetmusic.com) are great… that’s another good resource for digital downloads 🙂
Carol
Simon Chigova says:
http://www.free-scores.com is another good one.