Skip to Main Content
We are working to upgrade the research experience by making ongoing improvements to our Research Guides.
You may encounter changes in the look and feel of the Research Guides website along with structural changes to our existing guides. If you have any questions or concerns about this process please let us know.

Music Scores

Below is a list of websites that may be of use to you in your search. You should always use caution when taking information from a website. Evaluate the website using the criteria below to ensure you are recording the most accurate information possible. And of course, as always, when you are searching for information-especially creative works such as music scores-on the open web, make sure you are checking the creative commons licensing to avoid copy right infringement. 

Web Evaluation Basics

There are several similar ways to remember the criteria for evaluating websites. Click on the Title of each for more explanation and a PDF handout.

CRAAP (Cal State Universiy-Chico)

  • Currency
  • Relevance
  • Authority
  • Accuracy
  • Purpose

5 Questions (Univ. of California, Berkeley
Click here for a checklist.  

  • What can the URL tell you? (domain, publisher)
  • Answer these questions- scan perimeter of page (about us, philosophy, background, biography, currency, credentials, etc.)
  • Look for indicators of quality information (links, documentation/footnotes, credibility)
  • What do others say? (linking pages, listed in a reputable directory, what others say about the author)
  • Does it all add up? (why was page put on web, purpose, is this as reliable as resource as you would find in a library?)

Creative Commons Licensing Types

What is Creative Commons Licensing?

Creative Commons licenses give everyone from individual creators to large institutions a standardized way to grant the public permission to use their creative work under copyright law. From the reuser’s perspective, the presence of a Creative Commons license on a copyrighted work answers the question, What can I do with this work? 

For more information on Creative Commons License please see CC About Portal

The six different license types are listed below:

  Attribution CC BY                                                                  
  Attribution ShareAlike CC BY-SA                                       
  Attribution-NonCommercial CC BY-NC                              
  Attribution-NoDerivs CC BY-ND                                           
  Public Domain (CC0)                                                          
  Free Cultural Works                                                               
 
From:  Licenses and Examples (Creative Commons)

Vocal Music Scores

NOTE: Always check copyright and collection information before downloading scores for your use.

Want more scores? Use your favorite browser to
Always check copyright and collection information before downloading scores for your use.
  • Search for vocal sheet music site:.edu. This will search educational institutions for "vocal sheet music."
  • Search for vocal sheet music site:.gov to search U.S. government sites (like Library of Congress).
    Alternatively, you could search site from other countries by using their country domain extension instead of ".gov." 
  • Search for public domain sheet music to locate music that is no longer under copyright and has gone into the public domain.

Public Domain Music - other sources

NOTE: Always check copyright and collection information before downloading scores for your use.
Last updated on Apr 9, 2024 4:06 PM