PLEASE click on one of the following links - for information which is specific to your instrument:
Bassoon - PDF || Brass Ensembles || Clarinet - PDF || Double Bass - PDF || Euphonium - PDF || Flute - PDF || Guitar - PDF || Horn - PDF || Oboe - PDF || Organ || Percussion - PDF || Piano - PDF || Piano Ensembles - PDF || Saxophone - PDF || Singers on CD (PDF) || String Ensembles - PDF || Trombone - PDF || Trumpet - PDF || Tuba || Viola - PDF || Violin - PDF || Violoncello - PDF || Voice - PDF || Woodwind Ensembles - PDF
Why is it so Difficult to Find Printed Music?
- AUTHOR searches are not recommended because composers are often extremely prolific
[Try an Author Search on MOZART, Wolfgang...or BACH, Johann Sebastian...daunting!]
- TITLE searches do not work well, either. Library of Congress Cataloguing Rules require use of titles in the original language of composition e.g.The Magic Flute is entered as Die Zauberflöte, the Nutcracker ballet as Shchelkunchik.
- Many works have the same title e.g."sonata," "concerto" or "symphony".
- "Contents Notes" are NOT searched when you search by TITLE - use a KEYWORD search to locate items whose titles are 'buried' in "contents" of anthologies
- Libraries prefer to purchase the COMPLETE version/edition (a volume of ALL songs by a single composer; all of his/her piano sonatas; a complete opera, or whatEVER) to save $$ on binding costs. This means your needed title is NEVER viewable as a "title," and will be buried in a "Contents Note."
In the Western Libraries Catalogue...
...KEYWORD searching is a FAST and EFFICIENT way to find repertoire...
To Find a Known Piece of Music by KEYWORD:
- USE THE PLURAL of the musical GENRE e.g. sonataS, suiteS, concertoS.
- type the "boolean operator" AND in-between your keywords
- INCLUDE the name of the INSTRUMENT
- INCLUDE the composer's SURNAME, or a distinctive FIRST NAME to help narrow your results
- INCLUDE a distinctive word e.g. title word, opus number or thematic catalogue number. To find titles, opus or thematic numbers consult The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians
- When including an opus or thematic catalogue number, include/use NUMERALS ONLY (i.e. do not include the K, K.V., KV or BWV, B.W.V.)
- LIMIT your search results to "PRINTED MUSIC"
- OR -
- include your search statement in parentheses, and EXCLUDE "sound" from your search strategy, thusly:
e.g.: (mozart and zauberflote) and not sound
Top of Page
A SUBJECT search is NOT the same as a KEYWORD search!!
Library of Congress Subject Headings are assigned by cataloguers, so that all sonatas for violin are grouped in one section; all concertos for violin are in another section. (Each section is then organized alphabetically, by composers' surnames.)
***WARNING*** -- if , for example, you use the Subject "TRUMPET MUSIC" you will find miscellaneous solo works only!
Most music will be found under the Subject Heading for a specific genre, e.g.
SONATAS (TRUMPET AND PIANO)SUITES (TRUMPET AND CONTINUO)CONCERTOS (TRUMPET) [full scores and sound recordings]CONCERTOS (TRUMPET) -- SOLO WITH PIANOCONCERTOS (TRUMPET WITH STRING ORCHESTRA)
Other useful Subject Headings include:
TRUMPET -- STUDIES AND EXERCISESTRUMPET -- ORCHESTRA STUDIES (etc.)
n.b. Words or terms from Subject Headings may be used in KEYWORD searches
Top of Page
Uniform Titles frequently add an extra level of complexity to the search for music. You may find the following source (from Indiana University) helpful:
Making the Most of the Music Library Using
Uniform Titles Courtesy of Michael Fling, Indiana University
Lisa Rae Philpott
Music Reference / Collections / Instructional Librarian
Music Library - Western Libraries
Last updated: 2012-11
