Music Collectibles Guide

The written form of music as a form of collectibles for music lovers.  Whether single songs, the music for a complete ballet or Broadway musical, or the full orchestral score for classical music, a collection of music is not only useful, but important.  How much music has be preserves because someone saved the printer version.  Although today it would seem safe to forgo collecting modern publications, since there are thousands printed and music libraries at almost all university libraries, still, the pages you collect may be the only ones preserved over time.

Preserving the written form of music allows it to be reinterpreted again at a later date.

Single sheets, for a single song, usually have nice graphics on the front.  These covers preserve the art style of the time, or a retro look for songs republished.  The cover may show the singer who made the song famous enough to warrant printing it for public consumption.  Past single sheets are highly collectible for these reasons, besides the actual music inside.

Songbooks that contain the music for a film, play or ballet can bring many hours of pleasure to the music lover.  Seeing how the music looks while listening to it keeps the listeners mind on the music, and even for those of us who do not play seriously, seeing how the music is put together can be informative.  There is one variation on a theme by Paganini that is very fun to look at while listening to it.  (Can you guess which one?)

Sometimes the only way to get the music you want to learn to play requires the purchase of the complete score.  I bought the score to Swan Lake in order to learn a two-minute passage.  However, I can still enjoy the rest of the printed version while listening to the music if I want.  I also bought the score of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Requiem because I wanted to know the words, even in Latin, and to watch the music as I listened.  I am not a great music lover, so if I can enjoy printed music, a real music lover would undoubted do so too.

Songbooks of popular music tell the future about the here-and-now, as well as allowing the classical musician to noodle around with light music, between real practice and performances.

Fakebooks: I though I was being so clever to copy the music for the songs I liked best and wanted to have at my fingertips into a spiral bound book of blank music sheets.  Turns out everyone has a fakebook.  But it is still a neat idea, and keeps the popular player from having to haul around sixteen pounds of published material when all he needs is the melody and chord designation, or perhaps just a reminder of how the song goes.  I imagine just a hint brings back Christmas carols, after many years of playing them.  But a hint may be needed, if it has been months since the song was last played or the song less popular than some.

Good music deserves to be collected and preserved, so collect the printer version of the music you like best.  Your collection may be the only source for some of the music in the future.

* * * If you came here hoping to learn to read music, please go to how to read piano music. This site has the beginner’s information you need. * * *

* * * Or you can learn to read drum music here. * * *

The images on this post are from Stock Xchnge.

1 Comment » Posted by / possibilities

The most obvious musical collectibles, I would say, are the instruments themselves.  If you play, you probably have one or two of each instrument you play.  Add a few more and use your collection to decorate an important wall in your abode.

Old or new, instruments can be used to personalize your room.

A stylish display of trumpets or violins could enhance your decor, give you a place to store the instruments besides the floor or closet, and tell visitors something about what you are.

The instrument's shape may provide lots of possibilities for a grouped display.

Of course, if the instruments are small, this makes displaying them both easier and more difficult.  For really small instruments, like harmonicas, it would be necessary to find a way to display them in which the display itself does not overwhelm the objects.  A shelf with harmonicas would probably seem to be only a shelf unless one got quite close.  Mounting the harmonicas on the wall on brackets or hooks would probably still distort the display, emphasizing the hanging hardware and not the instruments.  I will have to think about this.

The smaller woodwinds would make a really nice display.  Flutes arranged in a radial pattern would be interesting.

But, Geekness, I play the double bass.  Surely you don’t think I can decorate with a flotilla of double basses, do you?  Actually, in some ways they would be the most interesting to decorate with.  In a loft or a room with a cathedral ceiling, an arrangement of double basses could be quite eye-catching and cover a lot of blank wall.  Hang the ones you use closest to the floor, of course.

Me?  I always thought a collection of kazoos was my speed.

Kazoo, choice of millions.

Or the plastic recorders we used to have to buy for 7th grade music class.  I played accordion for a couple of years.  (Think about displaying a collection of those!)  And I had an electric organ for a while, but there is no collecting possibilities there unless you own and live in a warehouse.

Lastly, collect musical instruments as you travel the world, or your nearest import store or import web site.  They are usually colorful or interesting in a visual way that modern band or orchestra instruments are not.

Souvenir instruments are usually colorful.

And when the grand-kids come to visit, you can send them outside to play music to their heart’s content.  You may foster the musical interest of a Gene Krupa or Sammy Figueroa.

Ethnic drums are usually easy to find, once you start looking.

Some instruments have mythic connections, like the pan pipe.  If you are into mythology, this is a perfect instrument to collect, along with single flutes.

Pan pipes refer the the Greek mythical figure of Pan, god of shepherds and flocks.

Ocarinas, or sweet potatoes, are also a common cultural development, as was the bagpipe.  Now, as a historian, you have a reason for collecting bagpipes!  And you don’t even have to learn to play them.  This is history and culture at your fingertips.

* * * And now, a few words about Christmas bells. * * *

The images on this post are from Stock Xchnge.

More information about collecting other kinds of music collectibles are available * here *.

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1 Comment » Posted by / possibilities