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This post was written by a member of the Score Exchange team.
https://www.scoreexchange.com/
Finding high-quality sheet music, specifically arranged for a brass band, can be both tricky and expensive. In this blog, we’ll go through a couple of places to get your scores that you might not have previously considered.
Sourcing the right score for your recital, competition or practice often means you need to spend hours trawling through dark corners of the internet or shelling out lots of money in your local music score.
Sometimes, you might even be compelled to purchase an entire book of scores - when you only really require the one!
This can be particularly problematic if you are trying to find a score that’s especially rare or hard to get hold of. Especially if time is a factor, and you are unable to create your own arrangement.
Fortunately, there are other options available to you. Here are three unusual places to source good-value scores for brass bands... Happy hunting!
1. Online Exchange Sites
While many online music retailers offer scores, they can often be pricey and sometimes restrictive in their selection.
However, online exchange sites like Score Exchange offer musicians the chance to share their own arrangements of songs and sell them directly to other members of the music community.
https://www.scoreexchange.com/instrumentations/brass-band.html
For this reason, you might be able to source particularly rare scores or fresh new arrangements, from composers all over the world. These scores are also particularly good value, being competitively priced.
When you make a purchase, you can also feel good about the fact that your money is usually going to help support independent composers and arrangers.
When you make a purchase, you can also feel good about the fact that your money is usually going to help support independent composers and arrangers.
If you have any original arrangements, sites like Score Exchange can also offer you the option to monetise your existing work, which can help offset the cost of any new scores.
https://www.scoreexchange.com/instrumentations/brass-band.html
2. Your Local Library
Many people in the UK haven’t realised that quite a few local libraries are currently enjoying something of a second act, all over the country.
After decades of underfunding and underuse, many are now being combined with other arts venues and becoming multi-use spaces.
It’s entirely possible that your local library may also now act as a theatre, concert hall or cinema.
That said, they will still have a (hopefully comprehensive!) selection of resources available for you to borrow, just as they always have.
If you’re rehearsing in an ensemble that just meets for fun, it can be a brilliant way to trial new material and get a feel for what your group enjoys.
While this will often depend on your location (and your particular library’s stock) some will have a selection of sheet music compilations that you can rent out. This means that, if you don’t need to keep the score permanently, this is a simple and affordable option for securing the sheet music you are looking for.
If you’re rehearsing in an ensemble that just meets for fun, it can be a brilliant way to trial new material and get a feel for what your group enjoys.
It’s worth remembering that copying or scanning the sheet music from a book that is on loan may be prohibited, on the basis of copyright.
3. Social Media
If you are looking for a relatively common score (perhaps one that has fallen out of copyright and into common use) then it might be worth looking up some of the larger social media groups.
Especially useful if you are looking it up for education purposes, groups like UK Music Teachers will often see their members trade resources and exchange scores.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/694233254091410
Using the ‘search’ function can help you look through previous posts, but you can always create a new post yourself, asking for help locating scores.
Members of the group might also be able to signpost you to other sites or locations where you can purchase the score you are looking for.
Facebook Groups
There are various other Facebook groups that can also offer you advice on all sorts of subjects, from locating new gear to booking in more shows.
A couple of good music communities on Facebook are UK Musicians for Gigs and Dep Musicians in the UK – Needed and Available
https://www.facebook.com/groups/ukmusiciansforgigs
https://www.facebook.com/groups/depsuk
Reminder: It is still important to observe the relevant copyright law. If you’re looking for more information, then you can check out the GOV.uk advice page on Printed Music Copyright.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/copyright-notice-printed-music
Score Exchange is the largest online retailer of new sheet music from composers and arrangers all over the world.
It offers thousands of sheet music scores for download for every instrumentation imaginable - from solo pieces to works for full orchestra, from classical to pop.
https://www.scoreexchange.com/
