My Favorite FREE Online Resources for Teachers and Students: Revised for 2026

At the height of COVID, when so many of us were teaching online for the first time, I posted a list of some of my favorite online resources for piano teachers and students. These were websites that I had used frequently for supplemental material for my own students that I thought might be helpful as teachers were navigating the changing landscape of piano teaching at that time.

Six years have passed since that post (can you believe it?!) and today I am sharing a revised list of my favorite FREE online resources for teachers and students! This list includes links to free sheet music, music history resources, music theory worksheets and games, and much more!

Keep reading to see the revised list...

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First, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the free resources on my own website HERE! I've spent the last 10 years sharing sheet music, worksheets, improv and composition prompts, and many other resources I have created for my own students on this page. It was truly a labor of love, and I hope other teachers and students find these resources helpful.

Here are other websites I have used frequently in my own teaching. Many thanks to the creators who continue to generously share this content with musicians from around the world! 

Free Sheet Music

• IMSLP: The International Music Score Library Project is a huge digital library of public domain sheet music. You'll find many works by well-known classical composers here, so it is a great resource for supplemental music for more advanced students. Be prepared to do some digging--the database currently has nearly one million free scores available.
• G Major Music Theory: This site was created by Gilbert DeBenedetti, a piano and music theory teacher from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He generously offers hundreds of free piano pieces at a variety of levels, in addition to his own music theory course.
• Making Music Fun: Andy Fling offers both free and paid resources for music teachers, including sheet music for a variety of intruments.
• Michael Kravchuk: You'll find a free sheet music for piano, voice, violin, and trumpet on this website, as well as free lead sheets. Many of the piano pieces are also available in a variety of keys, which is a nice feature for students who need practice playing in more difficult key signatures.

Music History Resources

• Classics for Kids: This website is an outreach program of Cincinnati Public Radio. Here you'll find podcasts, biographies, and worksheets about many famous classical composers. There are also resources highlighting women composers and composers of color.
• Making Music Fun: This website mentioned above also offers free biographies and printable worksheets for dozens of classical composers.
• ChrissyRicker.com's Music History Archives: I've compiled resources that help introduce students to the Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Contemporary periods, as well as "Composer Focus" articles with free printables that introduce students to the works of famous composers throughout history.

Music Theory Worksheets and Games

• MusicTheory.net: This page contains free content from the creators of the app Tenuto. You'll find theory lessons, as well as customizable exercises for practicing naming notes, key signatures, intervals, and more. I've found this site to be especially helpful for teen and adult students.
• Music Tech Teacher: This site was created by Karen Garrett, a now retired instrumental music teacher who created these resources for her own students. You'll find a variety of lesson plans, worksheets, quizzes, and games that are great for elementary and middle school age students.
• Perfect Start for Piano: This method series offers free, printable note naming pages to accompany each chapter of their method books. These are great for young students who need lots of reinforcement for naming notes on the staff.
• G Major Music Theory: This site that I mentioned above also has free music theory courses that are great for high school students who want to go in-depth with music theory.

YouTube Channels

• 8-Bit Music Theory: This channel features videos that discuss the music theory behind video game music. A must for middle or high school students who are gamers!
• Cliff Smith Backing Tracks: This channel is a one-stop resource for backing tracks featuring the 12-bar blues chord progression. You'll find tracks using a variety of keys and tempos--perfect for students who want to practice their blues improv skills in many different keys.
• YT Jam Tracks: This is another channel that is very helpful for improv practice. You'll find tracks in a variety of styles and keys, with the chord progressions shown on-screen as the track plays. Many tracks use just two chords, making them great for beginners.
• UIPiano Ped: This channel, the University of Iowa's Piano Pedagogy Project, features high-quality performances of pedagogical literature at a variety of levels.
• Classic FM: A great resource for educational videos and excerpts from classical concert performances by a variety of artists.
• Colourful Keys & Vibrant Music: Founded by Nicola Cantan, this channel features teaching tips and repertoire reviews for busy piano teachers.
• Tales of a Musical Journey: This channel shows Irina Gorin teaching pieces from her method series to her own students. It offers great examples of how to teach technique and artistry to young beginners.

Piano Teaching Blogs and Resources for Professional Development

• ChrissyRicker.com's Professional Development Archives: Over the past 10 years, I have written numerous articles on a wide variety of topics related to piano teaching, from teaching young beginners, to incorporating improv and composition into lessons, to teaching modern music. My archives also include links to articles I have written for "American Music Teacher" magazine and the "Colourful Keys" blog, as well as podcast interviews I have done about my composing career and my teaching philosophy.
• Color in My Piano: Joy Morin has been sharing insights into piano teaching on her blog since 2009. It's a great resource for articles, printables, and other resources for busy piano teachers.
• Piano Pantry: You'll find Amy Chaplin's blog and podcast for piano teachers here, including everything from free teaching resources and product reviews to recipes and "Friday Finds" for teachers. 
• Colourful Keys: You'll find tons of helpful articles for piano teachers on this blog created by Nicola Cantan. She is also creator of the "Vibrant Music Teaching" community.
• 88 Piano Keys: Leila Viss's website is a great resource for teachers who want to add more improv and creative activities into their lessons.
• Bradley Sowash: If you want to learn more about teaching jazz, this site created by Bradley Sowash is a must-visit! You'll find resources for teaching jazz improv, lead sheet playing, and more.
• Top Music: Founded by Tim Topham, this website contains free webinars and tutorials, a podcast, and a blog, as well as paid membership-based resources for teachers who are interested in a more modern approach to piano teaching.
• Piano Inspires: The website of the Frances Clark Center for piano education, offering a variety of free and paid publications, videos, podcasts, and courses for piano teachers of all levels.
• MTNA Resources: The Music Teachers National Association offers free publications on a variety of topics, from business resources, to wellness, to understanding copyright law.

What do you think? Have you used any of these websites with your students? Do you have any other free resources that you would recommend to your fellow teachers? I am sure this list just scratches the surface of what is out there...let us know in the comments what other websites you would recommend!