For someone who plays an instrument, having access to sheet music is important. New sheet music is essential to challenging yourself. Just like anything else, there are websites that provide free sheet music for nearly any instrument. The internet holds limitless inspiration for musicians if you can find the right place! Here are the 10 best websites for free sheet music.
1. International Music Score Library Project (IMSLP)
This website truly has it all. IMSLP strives to provide music for any and all instruments. They have every instrument from accordion to zither. If you play it, they have it. Plus, it has nearly 100,000 works with over 300,000 scores. It has ancient music to modern pieces. You’re sure to find something to play on this website.
This website has nearly 2,000 pieces of music for 32 instruments. While there is sheet music for several instruments, the instruments with the most sheet music are piano, violin, viol, bass continuo, and guitar. You can browse by instrument, composer, or style. Some music featured on the site includes Benoit’s “Ave Maria,” Debussy’s “Deuxième Arabesque,” and Grandi’s “Litania.”
This website is amazing for any aspiring virtuoso! Like IMSLP, there are dozens of instruments featured on the website. It has over 70,000 pieces of sheet music as well as books that explain the history of music or composing. While it doesn’t go as far back as ancient times, Free-Scores has music from the middle ages to contemporary times.
4. 8Notes
8Notes is a simple website to find amazing sheet music. They have the most popular instruments available like piano, guitar, violin, trumpet, tuba, and more. You can even find sheet music for rarer instruments like euphonium and mandolin. The website has over 9,000 sheets of music, lessons, chord charts, and resources.
This website has a smaller list of sheet music than some of the other sites, but what it has is amazing. Sheet Music Maestro focuses on early American sheet music for many instruments— guitar, harp, horn, organ, flute, and more. The songs range from easy to difficult, and it’s simple to find something within your comfort level. The music is easy to download with just a simple click of the button. Some featured songs are Glover’s “Cavalier,” Hooton’s “Soldiers Joy,” and “La Pipe de Tabac.”
6. MuseScore
MuseScore is a great website for modern, recognizable pieces. The website offers music for dozens of instruments like flute, clarinet, trumpet, tuba, oboe, bagpipe, keyboard, and more. Some of the more recognizable sheets on the site include “The Lord of the Rings Medley,” “Zelda Medley,” and “Joy to the World.” The website is run by people who write their own music and sometimes compose tunes that are very familiar.
This website has thousands of free sheet music for larger bands composed of several instruments. The sheets can be viewed by genre or year. It has an impressive collection of theater music, but the most popular genre is march. There are some incomplete pieces, but there are at least 1,400 pieces that are complete as published.
8. ABCMusic.net
This website is your one stop shop for modern piano music. While there are more classical pieces, it focuses on sheet music that is easily recognizable. Some of the most popular sheet music on the website includes The Beatles’ “Let it Be,” Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody,” and Coldplay’s “The Scientist.” It has hundreds of free pieces under every genre.
This website may be a little difficult to navigate, but it’s worth it. Duke University’s library provides access to over 3,000 pieces published between 1850 and 1920. While every piece has a vocal or choral accompaniment, it also has piano and guitar music.
10Easy Sheet Music
If you are just learning how to play the piano, consider visiting Easy Sheet Music. This website offers over one hundred pieces of simple music that will slowly teach you the proper way to play. It’s separated by popular classics, blues, opera, mission, and songs from around the world.
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