Musically

[viellen]

Do any of you know where in the Davis Sq/Cambridge/Somerville area I can find sheet music (specifically looking for Leonard Cohen sheet music) and/or blank sheet music books? Danke!

Comments

[unferth.livejournal.com]

The used record store on Elm down across from Anna's Taquiera used to have sheet music - I haven't checked lately. I think I've seen Leonard Cohen sheet music there before.

[viellen]

Oh cool, thanks!

[wisdom-seeker.livejournal.com]

There's a music store on Mass Ave in Cambridge, just north of Porter, I'm blanking on its name... It used to be in Harvard Square and had been there close to 100 years, but was forced to move during the mallification of the 1990s... I think it starts with a "B"...

[viellen]

Hmm, I'll have to look it up...thanks for the tip!

[mycroft.livejournal.com]

You might be referring to Cambridge Music Center, which is in Porter Square. It's next to Passage to India, right next to the commuter rail entrance. They have a smattering of music and blank books, but it varies a bit.

[wisdom-seeker.livejournal.com]

I don't think so. The place I'm thinking of carries *tons* of sheet music. It might even be their specialty.

[ukelele.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I think I know what you mean. Pretty much across Mass Ave from the Star, on the second floor, pretty much floor-to-ceiling sheet music?

I can't remember its name either.

[wisdom-seeker.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that's the place. Although, I just did a google search and Cambridge Music Center keeps coming up, along with "Yesterday Service," which is located on the second floor of the CMC. Maybe the place I'm thinking of finally went under, or merged with the CMC?

[siderea]

The place you're thinking of -- the one which was in Harvard Sq. forever and moved to Porter, the name of which is eluding me, too -- failed within a couple of years and is long, long gone.

[siderea]

FYI, I've stopped buying blank sheet music because I've discovered it's more cost effective to make my own. But that's loose-leaf, which maybe doesn't apply to you.

If I were looking for sheet music for a specific artist, I'd just use the internet. However, in addition to the CMC and Yesterday Service (which is, I think, all choral music) there is some sort of guitar shop on MassAve north of Porter by about 8 blocks, in the early 2000's (I forget its name) and The Guitar Stop on MassAve between Porter and Harvard.

[wisdom-seeker.livejournal.com]

That's sad :-(

[viellen]

I appreciate the reply, and actually did try the internet first, but the versions that I found I already have...I'm trying to compare different variations of a single song (which is only found in anthologies) so I just need to see the music in person for a few minutes so that I can transpose it on my own. And, yes, I used to make my own blank sheet music (you're right that it's a breeze when made out of looseleaf) but I need to actually make prints, not scrap by hand. Thanks for the ideas though.

[siderea]

BRIGGS AND BRIGGS!!! Halleluia, I finally remembered their name.

Yeah, they didn't even make it a year in Porter Sq. :/

[siderea]

I'm trying to compare different variations of a single song (which is only found in anthologies) so I just need to see the music in person for a few minutes so that I can transpose it on my own.

Ah. If you're looking for really specific stuff like that, you might have to make the pilgrimage to the music ghetto in Boston. Alternatively, if you're not buying, have you checked out the local music libraries? MIT's has the weirdest ass collection. You never know what you might find there. And libraries you can find out what they have on-line and only trek over there if you hit pay-dirt.

The place I was trying to remember is Daddy's Junky Music (a chain) at 2238 MassAve., Cambridge.

And, yes, I used to make my own blank sheet music (you're right that it's a breeze when made out of looseleaf) but I need to actually make prints, not scrap by hand.

I totally fail to understand this sentence, but whatever works for you. My musicians got fed up reading my chicken scratches, and now I do it all on computer and get my books bound at the MIT CopyTech, which has the cheapest printing and binding costs that I know about.

[viellen]

Wow, I feel like such an idiot, I didn't even think of a simple thing like a library...sometimes the best answers allude you.

Sorry if I was incomprehendible about the looseleaf...a trick I learned in music school was to use looseleaf paper to make standard music paper (you just need to add a few lines to it with a pencil). I'm looking to create something half with computer and half by hand so I wanted printed blank sheet music paper...I don't know if that made more sense or not, but thanks for the help regardless :)

[siderea]

Wow, I feel like such an idiot, I didn't even think of a simple thing like a library...sometimes the best answers allude you.

Hey, no bad feelings: nobody remembers they're there, and traditional ones focus on classical. The ones I know about are: Tufts, MIT, Harvard and BU. Harvard's may no longer be general admission (nobody has ever hassled me.) MIT and Tufts are open to the public. I think BU's is too. You might check the Berklee College of Music, see if they have a library.

a trick I learned in music school was to use looseleaf paper to make standard music paper (you just need to add a few lines to it with a pencil).

AAAIIIIEEEEE!!!! Nonononono!

OK: Go fire up a copy of MS Excel. Grab four rows and set to a height of 1mm. or 1/8th of an inch. Set the next row to a height of a half inch. Now use to border tool to turn on the border to the tops of all cells. Now, select all five rows and copy. Paste a big bunch of times, one after another. Set the A columm to 7 inches wide. Voila. Print once and photocopy a million times.

And, of course, if you want to can set up more complicated patterns, such as pairs of staves for piano or groups of four staves for choral music, or whatever.

Same basic stunt can be performed in any word processor (MSWord, Word Perfect, etc.) If it lets you specify the borders, height and width, you can make blank score paper on it. I think my current perpetual batch I made on Word Perfect 4.2 for DOS; I just keep photocopying it. Hell, if you really want, I can give you some as masters for you to make your own copies.

MIT CopyTech had $0.04pp self-serve last I checked. If you wait for the end of the term, they usually have a $0.02pp sale. Blank score books were usually more like $0.10pp and up. Well, back when I paid for them. It's been since WP4.2 for DOS since I paid retail for score paper. :}