Master/Individual Scores of Handbell Music
Why sell master scores of handbell music?
This keeps our overhead low and allows us to offer projects that would be cost-prohibitive for traditional publishers. For instance, Sonology Music is able to handle licensing fees for copyrighted material more effectively than traditional print publishers.
$15, $20, $25 for a piece of handbell music – isn’t this expensive?
Definitely not! Remember you are purchasing more than a printout of the music, you are buying a license to copy the master score for the needs of your program. Buying, say, 10 copies of a traditionally printed piece of handbell music would run $50 to $60 plus the shipping and handling. So Sonology Music’s prices are ONE THIRD OR LESS of the price for traditionally published handbell music!!!
The price for master scores is great, but I’m participating as an individual ringer in a festival. Do I need to pay for a master score?
No. Sonology Music also offers individual copies of our handbell music. Every piece of handbell music is available with an individual license option. (There are very few exceptions to this rule, for a small number of copyrighted pieces that do not have individual licenses available – please contact us if such a piece is being used for a festival where you are an individual ringer, and we will do our best to make it available for you in individual license form.)
I need less than 15 copies of the master score. Is the price different?
No. The license allows you to print/make UP TO 15 copies of the score. Some groups will only need 8 copies, and some even less. The price for the master scores is still so much lower than for traditional print handbell music that you are coming out WAY ahead of the game as far as price. If you only need a very small number of copies (less than five), you might consider buying individual scores.
I need more than 15 copies. Do I have to pay extra?
No. Sonology Music has to have a standard to go by, and we decided that making 15 copies is more than adequate for the needs of most handbell choirs. However, we know that there are some specific instances where a handbell choir uses more than 15 copies of the music; for instance, some handbell choirs buy a copy for each ringer. If you need to make more than 15 copies of a piece you’ve purchased, simply contact us and we’ll issue you a license to suit your needs.
You offer individual copies. Couldn’t I buy the individual copy at that price and run this off for my group?
No. Individual copies do NOT come with a license to make copies. This would be the same as purchasing an individual copy of a traditionally printed piece of handbell music and running it off on a copy machine, which of course is illegal. Making copies of the individual score is just as illegal and subject to prosecution to the fullest extent of the law.
PDF Files of Handbell Music
How do I view/print a PDF file?
You will need a copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader or some other PDF viewing software installed on your computer.
How do I download my handbell music once I have purchased it?
Click “Download My Files” on any page and click on the name of the piece (in turquoise font color).
When I view my PDF files, I’m missing note heads, or I get plain characters for the dynamic markings or strange characters for technique symbols.
This is often a problem due to font files used by the PDF’s that are not installed on your computer. Updating Acrobat Reader should fix the problem. If you continue to have problems, please don’t hesitate to contact us. Note for MacOS users: You may need to view and print your music through Adobe Reader, not through MacOS Preview. MacOS Preview sometimes does not load some fonts correctly.
My music was damaged/lost. What do I do?
Per the license terms, “Replacement copies to replace lost music or music damaged through normal use may be made by Purchaser at any time, not to exceed the total number of copies indicated in the copyright notice of each piece. Replacement originals are available only through purchase from Sonology Music.”
MIDI Files of Handbell Music
Why are you using MIDI recordings?
Recording handbell choirs at a studio is an expensive prospect. Sonology Music will certainly use good quality recordings of handbell choirs whenever they are available. In the meantime, MIDI recordings give a good overall idea of the music without us having to pass the cost of professional recordings on to you, our customers, in the form of higher prices.
We have made a recording of a Sonology Music title. Are you interested?
Yes! Please do send it along to us. We’ll give it a listen and if the quality of performance and of the technical side of the recording meets our standards, we will make a contract with you of use of the recording on our site!
Returns
Can I return my purchase for a refund?
Due to the nature of the distribution of downloadable products (musical scores, MP3 downloads, and eBooks), you cannot return these types of products for a refund once they are purchased.
For physical products (paperback book, CD, and DVD), returns are allowed if the item is returned to us in new condition (original packaging for CD and DVD, un-marked and un-bent for the paperback book). The refund will be processed for the cost of the product once we receive the returned product.