MUSICSHEET

Sheet Music is a hand-written or printed form of musical notation; like its analogs -- books, pamphlets, etc. -- the medium of sheet music typically is paper (or, in earlier times, parchment.)

Use of the term "sheet" is intended to differentiate music on paper from a recording, broadcast, or live performance, and more specifically usually refers to the print publication of commercial music alongside the release of a new film, show, record album, or other special event which involves music.

With the exception of solo performances, where memorization is expected, classical musicians ordinarily have the sheet music at hand when performing. Even in jazz music, which is mostly improvised, sheet music is used to give basic indications of melodies, chord changes, and arrangements.

MUSICSHEETS can be used as a record of, a guide to, or a means to perform, a piece of music. Although it does not take the place of the sound of a performed work, sheet music can be studied to create a performance and to elucidate aspects of the music that may not be obvious from mere listening. PIANO SHEET MUSIC is popular.

The sung part(s) in a vocal work usually are not issued separately today, although this was historically the case, especially before music printing made sheet music widely available.

MUSICSHEETS can be issued as individual pieces or works (e.g., a popular song or a Beethoven sonata), or in collections, e.g., of works by one composer or by several, or of pieces performed by a given artist, etc.

When the separate instrumental and vocal parts of a musical work are printed together, the resulting sheet music is called a score. This term has also been used to refer to sheet music written for only one performer. The distinction between score and part applies when there is more than one part needed for performance.