# Is there an inexpensive place to buy classical sheet music? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 21, 2012, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-inexpensive-place-to-buy-classical-sheet-music/610232 "2012-01-21T18:52:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2012, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-inexpensive-place-to-buy-classical-sheet-music/610232/1 "2012-01-21T18:52:32Z")
I’ve been listening to a lot of chamber music lately and I would like buy copies of some of the sheet music so I can follow along while I’m listening. Are there some inexpensive places I can buy online? I also live close to Arizona State University if there is such a thing as a music bookstore. Right now, I am looking for music for some of Haydn’s string quartets, Beethoven’s string quartets and piano trios, Faure’s piano quintets, and Mozart’s string quintets. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2012, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-inexpensive-place-to-buy-classical-sheet-music/610232/2 "2012-01-21T23:24:08Z")
Try here: [Petrucci Music Library](http://imslp.org/wiki/). There are scores of scores. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2012, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-inexpensive-place-to-buy-classical-sheet-music/610232/3 "2012-01-22T00:23:49Z")
have you tried [MusicNotes](http://www.musicnotes.com/) ? ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2012, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-inexpensive-place-to-buy-classical-sheet-music/610232/4 "2012-01-22T00:54:57Z")
If you want to buy printed copies, you might look into what [Dover Publications](http://store.doverpublications.com/by-subject-music-chamber-music-scores.html) has to offer. But I’d think that, nowadays, with any music that’s old enough to be in the public domain, it’d be worth checking to see if it’s available free online. **Cunctator** ’s link looks like one good source; a couple others I managed to find were [Mutopia](http://www.mutopiaproject.org/) and the Project Gutenberg [Sheet Music Project](http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Gutenberg:The_Sheet_Music_Project). ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2012, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-inexpensive-place-to-buy-classical-sheet-music/610232/5 "2012-01-22T02:37:05Z")
Since you live near Arizona State University, don’t they have a music department . . . with a music library . . . and a copier? They may have what you’re looking for. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2012, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-inexpensive-place-to-buy-classical-sheet-music/610232/6 "2012-01-22T03:46:57Z")
> [@Cunctator](#): > > There are scores of scores. I’ll bet you’ve been waiting years to use that one. ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2012, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-inexpensive-place-to-buy-classical-sheet-music/610232/7 "2012-01-22T03:50:08Z")
If you do a Google search for the name of any public domain piece plus pdf, you’re likely to find a score available for free. ---
**Author:** ![K364](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k364/32/5_2.png) [@K364](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K364)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2012, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-inexpensive-place-to-buy-classical-sheet-music/610232/8 "2012-01-22T03:59:15Z")
> [@Cunctator](#): > > Try here: [Petrucci Music Library](http://imslp.org/wiki/). There are scores of scores. The Mother Lode. ---
**Author:** ![mack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mack)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2012, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-inexpensive-place-to-buy-classical-sheet-music/610232/9 "2012-01-22T04:10:30Z")
The [Royal Library](http://www.kb.dk/en/index.html) has an immense amount of music online, in interesting variations - scans of original scores, different editions, and so on. Takes some poking around though.