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Traditional Sheet Music

This section contains Traditional sheet music in a variety of styles, including Ragtime, Christmas, Wedding and Church Music. For more sheet music, look at our Classical Sheet Music and Original Sheet Music Sections.

Sheet Music for traditional Music Hall Songs:

The concept of Music Hall and its Songs has had a surprising and lasting influence on the evolution of music theatre and popular music. Here are some well-known songs from the Music Hall era (piano/vocal sheet music with lyrics):

    Daisy Bell by Harry Dacre - sheet music cover

  • Daisy Bell (Bicycle Built for Two) by Harry Dacre Details or Print
  • Daddy Wouldn't Buy Me a Bow-wow by Joseph Tabrar Details or Print
  • Ta-ra-ra Boom-de-ay (credited to Henry J. Sayers) Details or Print
  • I Do Like to be Beside the Seaside by John H. Glover-Kind Details or Print
  • Pretty Polly Perkins of Paddington Green by Harry Clifton Details or Print
  • The Man Who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo by Fred Gilbert Details or Print
  • It's a Long Way to Tipperary by Jack Judge Details or Print
  • Don't Dilly Dally on the Way (My Old Man Said Follow the Van) by Charles Collins and Fred W. Leigh Details or Print
  • Let's All Go Down the Strand (Have a Banana!) by Harry Castling and C. W. Murphy Details or Print
  • (Wot Cher!) Knocked Them in the Old Kent Road by Charles Ingle and Albert Chevalier Details or Print
  • The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze by George Leybourne and Gaston Lyle arranged by Alfred Lee Details or Print

Ragtime Music by Scott Joplin (1868-1917) & James Scott (1885-1938):

Scott Joplin grew up in the time and place where a new music was evolving. He was one of the pioneers of Ragtime Music making a name for himself with "Maple Leaf Rag". Usually credited solely to Jopin, "Swipesy" was a collaboration with his pupil Arthur Marshall. Joplin also co-wrote rags with Scott Hayden, and he provided some assistance to James Scott when he introduced him to his publisher. Scott Joplin is almost an exact contemporary of Debussy, and in fact influenced some of his work. Ragtime in general and Scott Joplin in particular reached a new audience when "The Entertainer" was used on the soundtrack to the movie "The Sting".

Folk Music, Songs and Dances

A number of Folk Songs can be found in our section on National Anthems and Patriotic Songs. Here are some further folk songs and dances. Auld Lang Syne is a traditional melody used to mark the togetherness of a group or community at the close of an event, but particularly to mark the midnight clock chimes for a New Year.

Nursery Rhymes, Children's Songs and Dances:

Nursery Rhymes & Songs are a particular type of folk song which appeal to children. Initially parents will sing these to their children, and the chilren will learn to sing such songs themselves when they are older. Here are some simple piano arrangements of such nursery rhymes and children's songs.

Sheet Music for Traditional National Anthems and Patriotic Songs:

See our article National Anthems and Patriotic Songs for more information about the origins of these pieces, which are often based on Classical Music, Hymns or Folk Songs:

    The Flag of the United Kingdom - The Union Jack
  • God Save the Queen (UK National Anthem - Traditional) - Details or Print
  • Rule, Britannia! (British Patriotic Song - Thomas Arne) - Details or Print
  • Rule, Britannia! (flute and piano) Details or Print Score/Piano Part and Flute Part
  • Land of Hope and Glory (British Patriotic Song - Edward Elgar) - Details or Print
  • Jerusalem (English Patriotic Song - Hubert Parry) - Details or Print
  • I Vow To Thee, My country (British Patriotic Song - Gustav Holst) - Details or Print
  • Deutschlandlied (German National Anthem - Joseph Haydn) - Details or Print
  • The Ode to Joy (European Union Anthem - Ludwig van Beethoven) - Details or Print
  • God Save the Tsar! (former Russian National Anthem - Alexei Lvov) - Details or Print
  • Advance Australia Fair (Australian National Anthem - Peter Dodds McCormick) - Details or Print
  • Waltzing Matilda (unofficial Australian Anthem - Traditional) - Details or Print
  • The Star-Spangled Banner (US National Anthem - John Stafford Smith) - Details or Print
  • Österreichische Bundeshymne (Austrian National Anthem - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart) - Details or Print
  • La Marseillaise (French National Anthem - Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle) - Details or Print
  • Oh Danny Boy / A Londonderry Air (Northern Ireland National Anthem - Traditional) - Details or Print
  • Scotland the Brave (former Scottish National Anthem - Traditional) - Details or Print
  • Land of My Fathers (Welsh National Anthem - James James) - Details or Print
  • Wilhelmus van Nassouwe (National Anthem of the Netherlands - Traditional) - Details or Print
  • The British Grenadiers (Patriotic March and Song - Traditional) - Details or Print

Military Bugle Calls

Bugle Calls are traditional pieces which have been used by the armed forces for centuries as a means of communication. The bugle can be heard over long distances, and is an effective way to communicate simple information and orders to a large number of people. The calls are frequently used to signal events requiring action, a familiar one being the "charge" of the US Cavalry as shown and heard in many Western movies. Perhaps the best-know of all bugle calls is the "The Last Post". This marks the end of the day, and is also used as a mark of respect for the dead at funerals and commemorative ceremonies. To mark the start of the day, different forces from different parts of the world use different tunes. Calls such as "Rouse" and "Reveille" are used as wake-up calls first thing in the morning. The following sheet music can be used for a number of instruments but is particularly suited to brass instruments:

Hymns and Church Music:

There is an enormous range of church music, and here are a representative sample of church music or hymns from our traditional catalogue:

Sheet Music for Weddings:

Music is an important part of any wedding, particularly a church wedding. Here are some classical suggestions of suitable music taken from our wedding music section where you will find many more examples:

Sheet Music for Funerals and Memorial Services:

Equally important is the choice of music for the funeral service of a loved one, and here are a few classical suggestions from our funeral music section which has further examples. We also have a page of music suitable for Remembrance Day and similar occasions.

    photo of a church with a cemetery in the foreground
  • Moonlight Sonata (1st movement) by Ludwig van Beethoven Details or Print
  • The Raindrop Prelude (No.15) by Frederic Chopin Details or Print
  • Gymnopedie No. 1 by Erik Satie Details or Print
  • Gnossienne No. 1 by Erik Satie Details or Print
  • Promenade from "Pictures at an Exhibition" by Mussorgsky Details or Print
  • Song Without Words "Faith" by Felix Mendelssohn Details or Print

Sheet Music for Christmas Carols:

White Christmas by Scott von Holzen As we approach Christmas, Carols are everywhere: on television, on the radio, in shops and more. We thought we should give you plenty of time to start practicing, so here are some popular Christmas Carols for you to play. The sheet music is available in a variety of keys and formats to suit a variety of different instruments. See the key below for a guide, and see our Christmas section for other suggestions:

The keyboard part is for piano, organ manuals or electronic keyboard showing chords.
The guitar part is notated in various ways including a classical guitar stave, guitar tabulature (TAB) notation, with chords and fret diagrams
The accompaniment part is similar to the keyboard part but including a solo part for reference and guitar chords.
The main part is suitable for any instrument in C playing notes from middle C upwards written in the treble clef, e.g. Oboe, Flute, Violin, Piccolo, Tuned Percussion, Soprano, Alto, Descant or Soprano Recorder.
The high part is also for instruments in C but notated an octave higher in the treble clef, suitable for Flute, Piccolo, Violin, etc.
The bass part is written in C and notated an octave lower than "main" part in the bass clef, suitable for Bassoon, Contrabassoon, Tenor Trombone, Bass Tuba, Cello, Double Bass, Bass, etc.
The viola part is for viola notated using the alto clef.
The horn part is for instruments in F playing notes written from roughly the F below middle C, suitable for French Horn (in F), Cor Anglais (English Horn), Treble/Alto or Sopranino Recorder, etc.
The horn1 part is for higher instruments in F, suitable for Cor Anglais (English Horn), etc.
The horn2 part is for lower instruments in F, suitable for French Horn (in F), etc.
The clar part is for instruments in B-flat playing notes written from roughly the D below middle C, in particular B-flat Clarinet, B-flat Bass Clarinet and Trumpet in B-flat.
The sax part is in E-flat playing notes from about the E-flat below middle C, suitable for Alto Saxophone.
This combination of sheet music parts should allow a large variety of instruments to play solo, accompanied, with other instruments, duets, trios and other combinations. The positioning tries to use an easy key and a good register for each instrument but that isn't always possible. To keep the parts generic there is no phrasing, articulation, tonguing or bowing marks and the player is encouraged to sort these out in a musical manner.

Christmas Carols - Guitar Arrangements by Glenn Jarrett

Jean-Baptiste Lemire (1867-1945):

This waltz is an example of French brass band music. The music of Jean-Baptiste Lemire is preserved and promoted by Tanguy Lemire whose web-site includes music and material about his grandfather.