Choosing the very best sonatas for the cello is quite a challenge - the literature is rich and deep, with many composers contributing several great works, all of which might be worthy of inclusion. To help, we’ve limited this difficult task to one piece from each composer, aiming for a wide historical spread, giving a selection of works that trace the history of this form from its emancipation in the hands of Beethoven, to the heart of the tumultuous twentieth century.
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The Romantic era marked the maturation of the solo song or ‘lieder’ into one of classical music’s most imitate and expressive forms. Whilst an opera might tell a story over the course of many hours, using all the paraphernalia of orchestra, chorus and team of star singers; the solo song, often accompanied by piano alone, fused poetry and music into emotionally charged drama lasting just minutes.
It would be enough of a challenge to find 10 definite song cycles from this incredible rich period of music history. We will go one further, choosing our very favourite single songs, with each composer being represented by one song each.
These pieces are not just for singers; they also make great instrumental solos—follow the links to find our exclusive arrangements of them!
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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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