Company FAQ

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.  

$18, $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.

I need less than 15 copies of the master score. Is the price different?
No. The license to make copies of the master score allows you to make UP TO 15 copies of the master 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, 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 gives the group a total of 16 scores to work with (including the original master). This 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 16 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 master score, 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 as illegal as it gets. 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 sofrware installed on your computer. For a free copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader, click here to go to Adobe's website.

How do I download my handbell music once I have purchase it?
Click "Get My Downloads" on any page and you will be guided through this simple process.

When I view my PDF files, I'm missing note heads, or I get plain characters for the dynamic markings or strange characters for Mart symbols.
This is 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 have problems, please don't hesitate to contact us.  Note for MacOS users: You need to view and print your music through Adobe Reader, not through MacOS Preview. MacOS Preview does not load some fonts correctly.

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.

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 Sonology Music?
Due to the nature of the distrution of Sonology Music, you cannot return music once it is purchased.

Purchasing Handbell Music

Can I purchase my music with a credit card?
Yes, of course you can. Simply follow the procedure given at checkout.