If you read my previous blog on choosing sight-reading materials, you may have realized that you need a huge quantity of sheet music to practice sight-reading. You may think that the cost of buying new music scores online or in the stores is too expensive. However, piano sheet music can be found quite cheaply or even free if you look into other places besides music stores.
Places to Find Sheet Music Inexpensively
1) Garage sales/Yard Sales/Estate Sales
Secondhand piano music may be found in garage sales, yard sales, and estate sales. Many times a family has sheet music that no one plays anymore and is offered for sale at low prices. At one garage sale, I bought a total of five sheet music books for one dollar! On two other occasions, I bought stacks of sheet music at estate sales where the previous owners were professional musicians. The advantage of garage sales is that the sheet music being sold is often at beginner levels and many times the music is little known and out of print. Unfamiliar music is perfect for sight-reading because you have no idea what it sounds like so you have to rely on your reading skills to play it.
2) Used Bookstores
Most people probably would never think that a used bookstore would have sheet music. If you look in the music section, however, you might find a shelf or two of old used sheet music. Every time I have been to Half Price Books, I have found at least a hundred sheet music volumes for sale. Because of the low demand for sheet music, these volumes are sold at low prices rarely exceeding a few dollars.
3) Libraries
Like bookstores, libraries may offer sheet music interspersed with music books. Usually library sheet music books are large collections containing at least 100 pages of music. With ample pieces for sight-reading, these books provide a greater quantity for practice than your average sheet music book. The best part is that these books cost nothing to borrow. In fact, library sheet music books were among the first resources I used in my piano sight-reading. If you are lucky enough to live in a city with a university, you may be able to access library sheet music as a courtesy borrower. In addition, many times libraries hold sales for donated material which may include sheet music. One time I bought 60 organ sheet music books at a library sale for 15 dollars! Organ music can be sight read on the piano with a few adjustments (that is a topic for another blog).
4) Thrift Stores
Stores like Savers or Goodwill may be potential sources for used sheet music. Instead of having an organized section, sheet music at these places may be mixed in with nonfiction books and may be harder to find. On multiple occasions, I have bought sheet music at Savers for $2.98 a piece and a large selection of beginner materials is often found here.
5) IMSLP
This abbreviation stands for the International Music Score Library Project. IMSLP is a huge database of free downloadable music in the public domain. One word of caution here is that depending on which country you are in, the copyright law for public domain varies so be extra careful that you adhere to the laws of your country before downloading. Nevertheless, this site features an abundance of unfamiliar music by obscure and minor composers from bygone eras. This neglected repertoire is absolutely perfect for sight-reading and is a treasure trove of forgotten gems. You can either print the music or read the scores at the piano from your tablet. Just like the library, this site is a free resource. Because of the free materials available on IMSLP, you have no excuse for not having musicl on hand for sight-reading.
6) Ebay
In this well-known online marketplace, you can find deals on used music, especially if you search for “piano lot.” This term refers to groups of multiple sheet music sold together at one price with combined shipping. The interesting aspect of ebay is that out of print and obscure material can be easily found and the finds are unusual and interesting choices for sight-reading.
Based on my experience, I believe that part of the fun in piano sight-reading is the search for new material as piano music is ultimately inexhaustible. On your sight-reading journey, there is no end of new music discoveries.
Stay Tuned,
Robert
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