Free Sheet Music: The Best Websites for Every Instrument

Here is a curated list of places to find scores, tabs, and other learning resources, plus how to organize them for practice with Tempo Kit. Not everything on these websites is free to download. Some resources are completely free, while others offer free viewing, limited access, or paid subscriptions.

A personal note on reading sheet music

I've been playing music for years, and I mostly learn by ear. I don't particularly enjoy reading sheet music or guitar tabs, lol. Maybe my eyes are just tired from staring at screens all day. I usually find it more enjoyable to listen, figure things out, and play.

When I was in orchestra, though, I learned to read sheet music, and I understand how valuable it can be. Especially when you're playing with other musicians, reading a score makes it much easier to follow an arrangement, communicate, and stay together. Plus, you don't have to memorize it XD!

I don't think there's one correct way to learn music. Reading notation, learning by ear, following tabs, studying theory, watching someone play, playing with others, or working with a teacher can all be helpful. Each gives you a different way of understanding the music.

Sheet music is another tool you can use. It shows you rhythms, pitches, dynamics, and details you might otherwise miss. But your ears are just as important, and notation doesn't capture every nuance of a performance. Ten people can interpret the same piece of music in ten different ways.

Personally, I usually try to figure things out by ear first. Sometimes it's simply because I don't have much time, and I'd rather spend that time listening and playing. If I'm unsure about something, I might check a score, tab, or another recording. Different resources don't always agree, either, so comparing versions and trusting your ears can be helpful.

If you're interested in learning this way, I also wrote a guide on how to learn a song by ear, step by step, including how to figure out the key, bass line, chords, and melody.

You do not have to love reading sheet music to benefit from it. And you don't have to be a great sight-reader to be a good musician. Learning different approaches simply gives you more options.

The websites below are resources I've come across or seen other musicians use. I haven't personally tested every score or arrangement, so it's worth checking the accuracy and licensing of anything you find. This post is not sponsored by or affiliated with any of these services.

Free public-domain sheet music

These libraries focus on public-domain music and works shared under various licenses.

Remember that copyright laws differ by country, and newer arrangements or editions can have separate protections. Check the copyright or license information before downloading or redistributing a score.

• IMSLP — International Music Score Library Project — One of the largest collections of classical sheet music online, covering Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and other repertoire. It contains scanned editions, orchestral scores, individual parts, and recordings.
  Best for: Classical instruments, orchestra repertoire, chamber music, and historical editions.
• Mutopia Project — Freshly typeset music rather than scans, created using LilyPond. Many pieces have downloadable PDFs, MIDI files, and source notation files.
  Best for: Clean, readable classical scores with clear licensing information.
• CPDL — Choral Public Domain Library — An archive of choral and vocal repertoire, including sacred music, historical works, and arrangements.
  Best for: Choirs, vocal ensembles, and singers.
• Free-Scores.com — A collection of public-domain music and compositions shared by musicians. Includes multiple instruments, genres, and difficulty levels.
  Best for: Exploring scores by instrument or discovering less familiar music.

Community and interactive score platforms

These websites are especially useful when you're looking for arrangements of contemporary music, film soundtracks, game music, and pieces shared by other musicians.

Community-uploaded scores can be helpful, but they aren't always accurate. Look for multiple versions and compare them with a recording when something sounds off.

• MuseScore — A large community-driven sheet music platform covering classical, pop, film, video games, and many other genres. You can browse and view many scores, but downloading, printing, and access to certain arrangements may require payment. MuseScore Studio, the separate notation editor, is free and open source.
• Flat.io — A browser-based notation editor with a community score library. Useful for creating and sharing arrangements and collaborating with other musicians.
• Noteflight — An online notation editor and sharing platform, commonly used for music education and collaborative projects.
• Soundslice — Interactive sheet music synced to audio or video. Especially useful when you want to read a passage while hearing or watching how it's played. Access depends on the individual course or score.
• 8notes — Sheet music organized by instrument, genre, and skill level, with additional exercises and learning resources. Includes free material, while some printable PDFs, playback features, and other resources require Premium.

Guitar tabs and chord sheets

If standard notation isn't your thing, tabs and chord charts can be useful alternatives, especially for guitar, bass, and ukulele.

Tabs tell you where to place your fingers, while chord charts give you the harmony without necessarily spelling out every note. They're useful in different situations, although they may leave out important details such as rhythm or phrasing.

• Ultimate Guitar — A large collection of user-submitted guitar, bass, and ukulele tabs and chord charts. Popular songs often have multiple user versions. Compare them rather than assuming the highest-rated arrangement is always correct. Some advanced features require payment.
• Songsterr — Interactive guitar, bass, and drum tabs with synchronized playback. Browsing tabs and basic playback are free. Advanced features such as playback speed control, looping, and downloads are part of Songsterr Plus.
• MySongBook — A library of professionally created Guitar Pro arrangements, including a selection of free content and paid scores. Useful when you want a detailed multi-instrument transcription rather than a simple chord chart.

Commercial digital sheet music

These platforms are generally focused on licensed, professionally published music. Some offer free selections, trials, or institutional access.

• Musicnotes — Professionally arranged digital sheet music for popular songs, classical pieces, film scores, and more.
  Best for: Finding a specific published arrangement. Most of the catalog is paid, although promotional free content may be available.
• Sheet Music Direct — Digital sheet music from major publishers, including piano, vocal, guitar, and ensemble arrangements.
  Best for: Finding an officially published version rather than a community transcription.
• Virtual Sheet Music — Classical and popular music arrangements, with PDFs and other supporting resources. Free and paid selections are available.
• Tomplay — Interactive scores with accompaniment recordings and practice tools. Particularly useful if you enjoy playing with an accompaniment rather than practicing entirely alone. Availability and access depend on its plans and trials.
• nkoda — A digital library of published scores used by individual musicians and institutions. Worth checking if your school, conservatory, ensemble, or library provides institutional access. Not every institution has a subscription.

Other ways to find and learn music

You don't have to start with a sheet music website. Depending on the song and how you like to learn, other resources may be more useful. Some options include:

• Learning by ear: Listen to the recording, identify the melody, bass line, chords, and rhythms, and try to reproduce them on your instrument. If you're new to this, check out our guide on how to learn a song by ear.
• YouTube tutorials and performances: Watch how another musician plays, compare techniques, and listen to different interpretations.
• Chord charts and lead sheets: Useful when you're accompanying someone, improvising, or working with a group.
• Backing tracks: Practice your part with the rest of the accompaniment.
• Teachers and lessons: Get feedback on technique, interpretation, and mistakes you might not notice yourself.
• Recordings and live performances: Listen for articulation, dynamics, phrasing, timing, and other musical details that may not be fully expressed in notation.

You can mix these approaches, too. For example, you might learn the melody by ear, consult sheet music for the rhythm, watch a performance to understand the phrasing, and practice with a backing track. It's not about using every method all the time. It's about choosing what helps you learn.

How to find the right version of a song

Sometimes finding sheet music isn't the difficult part. Finding the right arrangement is. Before committing to a version, consider checking:

• Instrument: Is the arrangement written for the instrument you're playing?
• Difficulty: Is it a simplified beginner version, a complete transcription, or something in between?
• Key and tuning: Does it match the recording you're trying to learn?
• Arrangement: Is it a solo version, accompaniment part, lead sheet, or full ensemble score?
• Accuracy: Does it sound right when you compare it with the original recording?

Searching for the title together with the composer, instrument, and words such as “sheet music,” “tab,” or “arrangement” is often a good place to start. You can also search for the arranger's name if you're looking for a particular version.

Not every score online is authoritative. Even published editions can differ, and fan transcriptions sometimes contain mistakes. If you have doubts, compare the written part with a recording, another edition, or a reliable performance.

How Tempo Kit works with sheet music and other sources

You might find one score you really like, but also want to keep an alternate arrangement, a lesson video, a backing track, or a recording of the piece.

Instead of searching through your browser history or bookmarks every time you practice, Tempo Kit lets you keep these resources together in a preset.

One main score, plus the other resources you need

A Tempo Kit preset can have one primary sheet music source. This can be a supported local file or a link to an online score, with a page selection when applicable.

You can then add extra sources to the same preset, including:

• Alternative sheet music or arrangements
• Tabs and chord charts
• Lesson videos or tutorials
• Backing tracks and reference recordings
• Other useful practice links

For example, a preset for one song might contain:

Tempo Kit Free supports three extra sources per preset. Pro supports unlimited extra sources and presets.

You can open your saved sources from the preset, including an option to open them all together. You can also keep your metronome tempo, tuner reference, drone, video settings, and practice notes with the same piece.

The next time you practice, load that preset instead of assembling everything from scratch. See our full guide to Tempo Kit scores and presets.

Note: Saving a website link doesn't download the sheet music or grant access to paid content. You'll still need to follow the original site's access and licensing requirements.

Using local PDF files

If you have sheet music saved on your computer as a PDF, Tempo Kit can work with local files too.

In Chrome or Microsoft Edge, open the PDF in your browser and enable file access for Tempo Kit if required:

1. Open extensions: Go to chrome://extensions in Chrome (or edge://extensions in Microsoft Edge).
2. Find Tempo Kit: Open Details on the extension card.
3. Enable file access: Turn on Allow access to file URLs.
4. Attach the score: Open your local PDF in the browser (drag and drop or File → Open), and attach it to your preset.

Local file links depend on the file remaining available on your device. If you move or rename it, or switch computers, you may need to locate it again. Saving a file reference does not necessarily include a portable copy of the PDF.

Browser note: Microsoft Edge uses the same Chromium toggle under edge://extensions. Mozilla Firefox enforces strict security boundaries that prevent extensions from accessing local file:// URLs directly; Firefox users can open local tracks with the free Practice Player or attach web links.

Build a practice routine around your resources

Having the right resources is useful. Being able to return to them without repeating all the setup is even better. Here's one simple example:

1. Find your music: Choose a score, tab, recording, or tutorial that helps you learn the piece.
2. Save your main source: Attach it to a Tempo Kit preset.
3. Add helpful references: Save alternate versions, a lesson, or a backing track.
4. Set up your tools: Choose a starting BPM, tuning reference, or drone.
5. Practice one section at a time: Slow down where needed, repeat difficult passages, and check your playing against the recording.
6. Remember what comes next: Add a note to your preset or record the session in your Practice Journal.

You don't need to save everything. Even one score and a starting tempo can be enough. The idea is to make it easier to return to your music.

Your music, your way

I still prefer learning by ear most of the time. But I'm glad I learned to read music, because it gives me another way to explore and understand what I'm playing. I can't read that well now cause I have not been using that skill :D.

Whether you learn from a score, a recording, a tutorial, or a combination of them, I hope these resources help you discover more music and enjoy the process of learning it.

And if you find yourself returning to the same songs, lessons, and resources, Tempo Kit can help you keep everything organized so you can spend less time searching and setting up, and more time playing.