Before you print: choose the right score and check the PDF

1. Confirm the work, arrangement and contents

Check the composer and the full work number as well as the title. Then read the instrumentation: piano solo, four hands, two pianos and a study score describe different reading and performing situations. An open score may place independent voices on separate staves, rather than on the two staves normally expected by a solo pianist.

Check whether the download is a complete work, an individual movement or one volume of a larger score. In this library, the two Art of Fugue volumes are study scores with separate voice staves, and the two Ricercars are individual works from The Musical Offering. The collection guide helps you compare these contents before opening a long PDF.

2. Separate the composition from the edition

Composer, arranger and digital editor are different credits. “AFTERTONE” identifies the edition prepared for this library; it does not replace the people credited for the music or source engraving. Read the edition notes for the source and any recorded changes, such as a different page layout.

Read the notice attached to the particular edition before reusing it. For an edition labelled CC BY-SA 4.0, the linked licence describes attribution, noting changes and sharing adaptations under the same licence. A free download button alone does not tell you which licence applies to another score.

References: [1]

3. Open the complete PDF, not just the preview

Each score page shows at most the first two pages. The download button retrieves the full file described by the page count. Open that file in a PDF reader and check its first and last pages. If the reader shows fewer pages than the catalogue, download it again and report the mismatch if it persists.

English and Chinese score pages share the same PDF. Switching the website language changes the surrounding title and description, not the notation or the download. Download the PDF rather than printing the preview images when you want the score’s original print layout.

4. Test one page before printing the whole score

1. Check the PDF page size and the paper loaded in the printer. Use actual size when they match and the preview shows no clipping; use a fit-to-page option if necessary to keep the complete page inside the printable area.
2. Print a page with both high and low notes. Check ledger lines, accidentals, small ornaments and the lowest staff, as well as the title and page number. If any are missing, revisit scaling and margins before printing the rest.
3. Place the test page on the music stand at your normal distance. If the notation is too small, avoid shrinking several pages onto one sheet; choose a larger paper size or another suitable edition.
4. If printing on both sides, test the page orientation and the first turn. Choose page order and binding position for how you will use the score, rather than discovering a reversed page while playing.

5. Make a correction report easy to investigate

Use “Report an issue with this score” on the score page. The email starts with the title and URL. Add the PDF page, measure if available, voice or staff, and what you expected to see. For an edition difference, include the other source’s title or link and the corresponding passage.

For example: “The accidental before this note on page 2 is clipped in my print; it is visible in the downloaded PDF.” That distinguishes a printing problem from a notation problem. For a download failure, include the score URL and the message you saw.

Explore the collections

• Bach: Suites and Extended Scores
• Short Keyboard Pieces and Studies
• The Beatles: Piano Arrangements