Good source for lead sheets?

[adultlearner]

Can anyone recommend a good site for lead sheets and/or piano sheet music of beginner to intermediate levels? While I understand that there's a lot of resource out there (Yes, I google! @Biggles LOL), it's becoming less than straightforward when I try to find the exact kind I'm looking for. Specifically, I am hoping to find a site where I can find lead sheets for pop songs and popular tunes, but not just for the "oldies" (which is great and I love too) but also songs from singers like John Legend, Charlie Puth, Ed Sheeran...you get the idea. Whether it's a site that contains lead sheets or regular sheet music, I hope it's categorized by levels so I can find *good* arrangements for beginners and intermediate level players. As always, free is the best but I wouldn't mind paying an inexpensive subscription fee - just not don't be a fee per song type of site as likely I'll try many a songs and decide they are not for me and end up throwing them away. Thanks for your help!

 

[happyrat1]

Pretty much anything under 50 years old you will end up paying for. The Authors still hold copyright and they enforce it with gusto.

In fact 50 years is only enforced in some countries. Anyone who signed onto the DMCA nowadays is collecting royalties on stuff that is 100 years old. Check the laws in your country before downloading.

Happy Birthday just became public domain again a couple of years ago.

If you like a band or a song you are pretty much stuck buying the songbook these days.

Discussions of pirated material are not welcome at all on this forum.

Gary

 

[adultlearner]

Thanks @happyrat1 !

Discussions of pirated material are not welcome at all on this forum.

Gary

Understood. But private messages with that info ARE welcome, and by me! Hahaha

 

[Biggles]

By lead sheets I presume you are seeking sheet music with melody lines, accompanying lines and bass lines with chords included. For this there are very many sites where you can buy individual sheet music scores and Sheet Music Direct is one such site that I buy my music from with my latest buy being Ennio Morricone’s Chi Mai.

Non copyright material and in particular Classical can be obtained from sites like Piascore.

For free sites where A N Other has transcribed a song then Guitar Tabs is the site to head for, this will give lyrics and chords that you can use to play along.

Anytune, is transcription software that you can use for any song.

Books of compilations of the sheet music for songs by various artists or songs by specific artists are readily available via Music Stores and other online retailers.

You have plenty of options that searches will offer but what I will not do myself is to offer up any links to pirated material and that includes links or files via a pm.

 

[CowboyNQ]

I use musicnotes.com. Relevant to OP's query, it has a very wide range of music available and it also has an "easy piano" and "beginner" category, plus quite a good collection of modern pop tunes.

It is NOT free, but it's not exactly expensive either. You only pay for what you download - there's no need to pay a monthly subscription. Plus you get the warm feeling of knowing you're paying the publisher their rightful royalties and have legal ownership of the sheet music you download.

 

[Biggles]

A further thought.

There are many books available and a series was produced by the Hal Lennard group bearing the title E-Z Play

Amazon.com : EZ play today book decade

Whilst they may seem basic the key (bad pun, sorry) to using books such as these, they cover the groundwork, they give you the melody line and associated chords. What you can then do is play the melody line but instead of playing a single note play it as a chord such that the chord is in the first inversion, you can then develop further by quickly arpeggiating the chord to produce a sound like you would get from a guitar which is being strummed.

Hence once you have the basic song nailed, it is time then to jazz it up, or embellish it.

Rolling Stone also produce books such as you see in the link

Amazon.com : rolling stone piano books

 

[adultlearner]

Thanks @Biggles i am aware of those. Agree that kind of fake book can be a good starting point.

 

[Rayblewit]

Some libraries have music sheets/books for loan. Check out your area.
Op shops have masses of discarded sheets and books for Cheap donations to wrthwhile charity. Keep checking these as new stocks arrive daily. I have acquired some late model gems over the years. Ed Sherrin and John Legend included as you alluded to.

I rarely use on line purchasing. Except ebay on a rare occassion. Worth checking ebay.

Cheers Ray

 

[Martha]

Can anyone recommend a good site for lead sheets and/or piano sheet music of beginner to intermediate levels? While I understand that there's a lot of resource out there (Yes, I google! @Biggles LOL), it's becoming less than straightforward when I try to find the exact kind I'm looking for. Specifically, I am hoping to find a site where I can find lead sheets for pop songs and popular tunes, but not just for the "oldies" (which is great and I love too) but also songs from singers like John Legend, Charlie Puth, Ed Sheeran...you get the idea. Whether it's a site that contains lead sheets or regular sheet music, I hope it's categorized by levels so I can find *good* arrangements for beginners and intermediate level players. As always, free is the best but I wouldn't mind paying an inexpensive subscription fee - just not don't be a fee per song type of site as likely I'll try many a songs and decide they are not for me and end up throwing them away. Thanks for your help!

I get lots of music, both piano and lead sheets from Music Notes. Com