# Sheet Music for Vince Guaraldi's Linus and Lucy **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 21, 2005, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sheet-music-for-vince-guaraldis-linus-and-lucy/332002 "2005-11-21T00:16:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![pekoeb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d6d6ee/32.png) [@pekoeb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pekoeb)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sheet-music-for-vince-guaraldis-linus-and-lucy/332002/1 "2005-11-21T00:16:08Z")
Does anyone know where I can LEGALLY download the sheet music for Vince Guaraldi’s “Linus and Lucy” for free?? Thanks… ---
**Author:** ![Cuckoorex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Cuckoorex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cuckoorex)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sheet-music-for-vince-guaraldis-linus-and-lucy/332002/2 "2005-11-21T00:34:50Z")
My impression is that you cannot _legally_ download the sheet music _for free._ I’ve seen it available for immediate download for as low as $3.95. Surely you can afford that…? ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sheet-music-for-vince-guaraldis-linus-and-lucy/332002/3 "2005-11-21T05:13:33Z")
The ascending figure in the right hand at the beginning of “Linus and Lucy Theme” is composed of three intervals: a major sixth, a fifth, and a major third, sketching out the chord change of C-G-C. These are traditionally called the “horn intervals” in classical music, because they were often played by a pair of French horns. All the notes lie comfortably in the overtone series, so horns could play them for centuries before valves were invented. The interesting thing about the way Guaraldi voiced it: “Linus and Lucy” uses the exact same figure of a piano sonata by **Ludwig van Beethoven** , Sonata in E-flat Major, op. 81, known as the Les Adieux/Das Lebewohl/Farewell Sonata. Only Guaraldi played the notes _backward_. The Beatles song “Because” was said to have been composed when John Lennon asked Yoko Ono to play Beethoven’s _Moonlight Sonata_ backward. So far I seem to be the only one who has noticed that Vince Guaraldi beat them to the punch when it came to making pop music out of Beethoven sonatas played backward. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2005, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sheet-music-for-vince-guaraldis-linus-and-lucy/332002/4 "2005-11-23T07:51:25Z")
The other thing I wanted to say was, “Linus and Lucy” is one of the easiest figure-out tunes for beginning jazz pianists. Once you catch on to the opening chord structures as described in my above post, and nail down the bass line, the song will practically play itself as long as you know the most basic I-IV-V chord changes. In case you don’t find the sheet music. Just listen to it and figure it out on the keyboard. ---
**Author:** ![RobuSensei](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/919ad9/32.png) [@RobuSensei](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RobuSensei)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2005, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sheet-music-for-vince-guaraldis-linus-and-lucy/332002/5 "2005-11-23T15:55:42Z")
Although I haven’t seen it online, I have two different copies of the sheet music for Linus and Lucy. One is just the song, and one is in a piano (transcription) book of all of the songs in the TV special, “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” The stand-alone version is in the key of C, and is only the main theme of the song, while the piano book version is in the (original) key of A flat, and includes one of the bridges. The book also includes the music for “Christmas is Coming,” which is my second-favorite of the Vince Guaraldi “Peanuts” songs. I never could play it up to speed, alas. ---
**Author:** ![Nimue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d26b3c/32.png) [@Nimue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nimue)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2005, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sheet-music-for-vince-guaraldis-linus-and-lucy/332002/6 "2005-11-23T16:24:11Z")
Just a reminder to try your local public library. They often have sheet music available for checking out or photocopying. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2005, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sheet-music-for-vince-guaraldis-linus-and-lucy/332002/7 "2005-11-23T17:15:48Z")
I used to have it, and if I could lay my hands on it, I’d offer to send it to you, but I currently have NO idea where it might be. ---
**Author:** ![vertizontal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/ad7895/32.png) [@vertizontal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vertizontal)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2005, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sheet-music-for-vince-guaraldis-linus-and-lucy/332002/8 "2005-11-23T18:34:26Z")
OK, **pekoeb** , here are a couple of links showing the [first](http://www.sheetmusicdirect.us/search/productDetail.do?refer=search&itemId=1000002480) [page](http://www.sheetmusicdirect.us/search/productDetail.do?refer=search&itemId=1000032645) only. And for **RobuSensei** , [this page](http://www.sheetmusicdirect.us/search/productDetail.do?refer=search&itemId=1000004904) is for you. ---
**Author:** ![Billy\_Powell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e8c25b/32.png) [@Billy\_Powell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Billy_Powell)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2005, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sheet-music-for-vince-guaraldis-linus-and-lucy/332002/9 "2005-11-23T19:12:32Z")
Word of advice: definitely try it in the original key (Ab) first. It really is the easiest key for the tune (if I recall correctly – I never played it, but figured out a bit of it to help a student). I think the book with the non-simplified version referred to above is Hal Leonard’s The Vince Guaraldi Collection if it’s too hard to learn the old-fashioned way. It’s pricey, though, if all you want is the one tune, and I don’t think the transcription is sold individually. Try “Christmas Time Is Here” as well – very, very simple tune to learn off the record, and a really pretty ballad which stands on its own merit. ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2005, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sheet-music-for-vince-guaraldis-linus-and-lucy/332002/10 "2005-11-24T14:10:03Z")
Just a quick reminder from the friendly neighborhood Moderator: **pekoeb** has clearly specified **legally** , which is why this thread remains open. In terms of photocopying from the library, no, that’s not legal – any more than photocopying an entire book from the library would be. ---
**Author:** ![RobuSensei](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/919ad9/32.png) [@RobuSensei](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RobuSensei)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2005, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sheet-music-for-vince-guaraldis-linus-and-lucy/332002/11 "2005-11-24T17:06:26Z")
> [@Billy Powell](#): > > I think the book with the non-simplified version referred to above is Hal Leonard’s The Vince Guaraldi Collection if it’s too hard to learn the old-fashioned way. It’s pricey, though, if all you want is the one tune, and I don’t think the transcription is sold individually. The one I was referring to was definitely entitled “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” and it only had the songs from the Christmas show. There’s something similar on Amazon [here](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0634029797/102-8247225-5858520?v=glance&n=283155&s=books&v=glance) for less than $15. (I’m not sure if that’s the same as what I had; if it is, it’s a new edition (2001), and it has pictures from the show in it. Mine does not. The list of included songs is the same, though I couldn’t say if it was the same arrangements.) ---
**Author:** ![rayh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@rayh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rayh)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2005, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sheet-music-for-vince-guaraldis-linus-and-lucy/332002/12 "2005-11-24T18:28:19Z")
You could try Acoustic Power dot com, which has a couple of arrangements for guitar which you might be able to use.