2026 marks the 250th anniversary of the United States’ Declaration of Independence, a moment that will be marked by reflection, celebration and, of course, music making across the country.
We’ve gathered together our picks of ten musical works that we think could form the core of this celebration. Forming only the small tip of our extensive collection of U.S. music, they are chosen to represent the nation’s history, its ideals, struggles and evolving identity.
Some of these works will be very familiar, but you will also find a few surprises…
Follow the links on each piece to find all the sheet music you need for your anniversary celebration. And if you are a subscriber with an unusual ensemble, let us know—we can normally make a version of the piece that will work for you.
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Every musician knows the value of practice — hours spent working on scales, tricky passages, and acquiring technical fluency. It can be a lonely process. 
But there is something you can do that will help make every practice session feel more like the thrill of a real performance. And the good news is, this will not just keep you engaged, but it will supercharge your musical skills.
The trick is to practise with playalong tracks.
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You probably already know that 8notes.com has a huge range of pieces and we've tried to arrange everything in a way that makes things easy to find. One thing we realised has been lacking is a progressive series of pieces for beginners.
What does 'progressive' mean? Simply that the pieces add concepts gradually as the series goes on. So the first pieces have just one note (often middle C), extra notes are gradually added, as are concepts like rests, articulation and dynamics. It's a great way to learn an instrument, much like the famous 'method' books many people use when they're first starting out.
Our first few books are now live, we have Progresive Method for Trumpet, Progresive Method for Trombone, Progresive Method for French Horn, and Progresive Method for Flute.
Stay tuned for more coming for other instruments very soon.
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If you come to 8notes.com looking for music for one particular instrument or by one particular composer, or if there are parts of the site that you regularly use but require a few clicks to get to, we've now made things a whole lot easier for you. Continue reading...
At 8notes.com we're always looking for ways to make it easier for you to discover the music you want. If you're looking for vocal music, there's a good chance that at least some of the time, the language the music is sung in will be an important part of the decision. That's why we've introduced a new drop down on the listings pages for voice and choir. Continue reading...
![King Charles III and Queen Camilla [source: Wikipedia]](/discover/charles_camilla.jpg)
The Coronation of King Charles II on May 6th 2023 was an occasion dripping with magnificent music, both familiar and newly composed. In a lavish ceremony lasting over two hours the crack team of musicians provided all the pomp, gravitas and emotion that the ancient Coronation rite demands.
Here is the ultimate chronological guide to the music played on that day, complete with links to recordings of the newer works and the sheet music to those familiar classics, so you can play through the Coronation music yourself.
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Malakai Bayoh recently wowed the judges on Britain’s Got Talent with his extraordinary performance of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Pie Jesu (from his Requiem). Originally written as a duet, Bayoh sang the trickier upper line as a solo with a purity and effortlessness that won the hearts of the Britain’s Got Talent audience and stony-hearted judge Simon Cowell. He ranked it as a ‘Golden’ performance, putting him straight through to the next round of the competition:
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Three years on since the first lockdown, in-person musical activity has - with a few exceptions - more or less returned to the way it was pre-COVID.
For all the difficulties and tragedies of the period, one thing that did happen was a flourishing of musical creativity. Despite the restrictions and the challenges, people found creative to musically connect with one another during that strange time. Here we celebrate a few of them.
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The biennial Cardiff Singer of the World competition has become a great springboard for those on the cusp of their professional careers.
Established in 1983, it is regarded as one of the most important operatic competitions in the world, reflected both in the stellar nature of the judging panel, which has included Sir Geraint Evans, Dame Joan Sutherland, Galina Vishnevskaya and Christoph Prégardien, and in some its iconic finalists.
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The 95th Academy Awards were announced in typically glitzy fashion on Sunday night.
Actors Brendan Fraser (in ‘The Whale’) Ke Huy Quan and Michelle Yeo (both in ‘Everything All at Once’) took home trophies for their acting, with’ Everything All at Once’ picking up best film and best director for Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert.
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