8notes.com

Website review by Erin Brereton, Common Sense Media
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Common Sense says

age 8+

Mostly free sheet music and lots of instrument resources.

http://8notes.com
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Parents say

age 12+

Based on 2 reviews

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this website.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that 8notes.com is a website that offers free sheet music for more than 25 instruments. Kids don't have to register to view some parts of the site, including the guitar tuner, the chords chart, and the metronome. However, they'll need an account to download sheet music. Site visitors who haven't subscribed can view a list of registered site members, but you must be registered and logged in to send them a message through the site.

Community Reviews

clover823
clover823 Adult
April 20, 2021
age 18+

Can't Cancel My Subscription...they just keep charging me

I cancelled my subscription months. The refunded me one payment last month and they just charged me again. Don't give them your credit card information. They are not the only site with free sheet music.
Lord School of Music
Lord School of Music Adult
November 3, 2019
age 5+

Great resources!

See all 2 parent reviews

What’s It About?

8NOTES.COM offers free sheet music for more than 25 instruments. Kids also can access lessons on piano chords, drum beats, and other musical components from popular songs and music theory. Other tools and resources include an online guitar tuner and guitar and piano chord charts, which feature audio files so kids can hear chords before playing them. They also can read musician biographies spanning from Beethoven to Beyonce and look up terms in a musical glossary. A $20 annual subscription provides access to longer, more advanced pieces.

Is It Any Good?

8notes.com can connect kids to a solid music library that includes classical pieces and a few contemporary favorites. Kids will find a decent amount of traditional music; songs available through free piano sheet music, for example, range from "Happy Birthday" to Beethoven’s "Moonlight Sonata." Songs also frequently include helpful supplementary items, such as a video that lets kids listen to the track before they play it and chord pattern information.
However, the additional information isn't consistent for each song. Adele’s "Someone Like You," for example, includes a chord and song structure breakdown, whereas Tchaikovsky’s "1812 Overture" description only includes a brief theme identification and composer background. The site says that more than three quarters of its sheet music, lessons, and jam tracks are free, but kids may be frustrated to find that many of the rock and pop sheet-music selections have to be purchased (only a half-dozen fairly obscure tunes are free). Still, the site's resources, including a nifty online guitar tuner and a metronome, can help kids hone their playing skills.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how songs are made; songwriting involves several steps. Ask your child to compare that process to the steps used to complete a household task.
  • What is your child's favorite song? Musical taste involves someone's opinion.

  • Discuss how music can help you express feelings. Can your child identify the intent behind a song on the radio? What emotions does it seem to describe or convey?

Website Details

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