The idea for my own free sheet music site started years ago, when I had trouble finding enough piano music I liked that my students and my own children liked too. Sure, my favorite piano method books had some real gems scattered throughout the pages, but also the occasional piece that kids would drag their way through, getting stuck in for a few weeks. Then, it was always nice to have "extra" or "fun" music to coax them along through the tough times in their piano method books.

OF COURSE THERE WERE LOTS OF SUPPLEMENTAL BOOKS I COULD BUY... but sometimes I didn't want to ask parents to spend money on yet another book, when I felt pretty sure only two or three of the pieces in the collection would interest my particular student. Or maybe only one. Parents already paid a lot for lessons...I needed free sheet music!

OR PERHAPS THE COMPOSITION I WANTED WASN'T AVAILABLE in my student's level...and even if it was, I wouldn't find out in time (think Christmas) because there was -- and still is -- no music store within a hundred miles of my town. Or I might find the piano song they wanted, but the arrangement turned out to be...BORING.

SOMETIMES MY STUDENTS NEEDED LOTS MORE PRACTICE with the same set of notes, but we had run out of music. Or they were ready to boogie with the 12-bar blues, but they weren't ready to read any of the blues music I could find.

If only free sheet music for kids was available. PRINTABLE sheet music. Printable PIANO music. But it wasn't!

So, like many of you, I began an on-going odyssey is search of music books with a high percentage of interesting pieces...

...and I also began to write and arrange piano music for my students, and my own kids. It wasn't exactly free sheet music then, not for me, anyway. Back then, it meant writing out music laboriously by hand on staff paper, then visiting the local copy center. Nothing could be printed at home or at my studio, unfortunately!

BUT TODAY, WITH A COMPUTER and great music notation software (Finale), sheet music has become a pleasure to write up. I continue to create printable piano music, vocal sheets and guitar tablature music for beginners and older students that I can't find in music stores.

WHY? BECAUSE OF MY STUDENTS. I have one young pianist whose favorite piece was Pachelbel's Canon in D. I knew he would really go to town if he could attack the Canon, scale passages and all, arranged in the key of C at an appropriate level of difficulty for him...and that is just what happened.

MANY OF MY VOCAL STUDENTS LOVE OPERA, but have voices too young and undeveloped to sing the songs in the original keys. With my shorter and lower versions (of some classical vocal music), they can still experience the beauty of great vocal music and grow familiar with the classical repertoire, though they are young. I can also offer them folk and ethnic music that might be impossible to find!

AND MY GUITAR STUDENTS NEED EXTRA MATERIAL - beautiful and fun music - to get them out of their one-size-fits-all guitar method books, trying different styles of playing, and learning how chords work. Plus, too many beginner guitar method books start with eighth notes, assuming students can already read music. I want all my students to have a firm foundation of basic counting, and not be guessing when it comes to eighth notes... so we wait awhile on those.

NO, I HAVEN'T THROWN OUT THE METHOD BOOKS. They form the backbone of my piano and guitar lessons. And I buy a lot of supplemental books for my students, too. More and more, there are terrific repertoire collections and solos available. Some of them can be previewed online to gauge their suitability for your pupils. I'd like to share my favorites with you.

ARE YOU A FULL-TIME TEACHER, A STAY-AT-HOME PARENT making extra money by taking in pupils, or A COLLEGE STUDENT just getting started teaching? Perhaps someone in the family has asked you to give their little girl or boy lessons, and you're not sure how to proceed. This site is aimed at teachers -- especially BEGINNING MUSIC TEACHERS -- and I want it to become a help in your teaching.

This is a new website as of January 2009, and I am learning as I go, trying to add new music weekly in addition to my regular teaching schedule (and life in general!). Please be patient...this site will eventually be interactive!

So... take a look around music-for-music-teachers.com. I love writing out new arrangements and original music, and especially sharing them with students (who are frequently the source of new music ideas!). Check out my free printable music sheets, and download anything that looks useful to you.

Though my printable sheet music is offered free, it is copyrighted and not for resale.

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