Free Items

Most items on this page are public domain. They are offered at no charge because no arranging or composition went into their production. There are also a few short original compositions that I have chosen to make available at no charge. If you find any posted items that you believe are not public domain, please let me know so that I can give appropriate citation or remove the item. All items in this category may be freely copied and distributed for non-commercial use.

Traditional songs, rounds and canons have been grouped broadly by genre and/or theme other than by specific grade levels or uses because many traditional songs are suitable for many purposes. Select “Traditional Songs” in the side menu; sub-headings will then be shown in the menu. Canons and rounds have been included in these thematic sub-headings. Sound files have been included to facilitate selection and learning.

VSM also has posted free scale sheets for all orchestral strings. These can be found both in the “Music for String Educators” category and under each individual instrument category in the main menu.

Staff paper, both blank and laid out for a variety of ensembles, is valuable not just for composers but also for teachers. It can be used for making arrangements, writing out technical or reading exercises, and for students to learn about notation.