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Research Guide for: Music
Indexes |
Sources |
Guides |
Tools |
Services |
For Faculty |
Collection
Music 3701: Western Music Before 1750 (WAC)
Below are some suggested starting points for music research in the Ingram Library at UWG.
For assistance in using these or other resources, please ask at the Reference Desk on the
first floor of the Library, or contact the music department library liaison, Brian Kooy, at
bkooy@westga.edu or (678) 839-6363.
Where are the Music Materials Located in the Library?
| Floor |
Materials |
| First Floor |
Reference Materials (encyclopedias, dictionaries, etc.) |
| |
Reference Desk/Librarian |
| |
Public Access Computers (to access the library catalog, databases, the Internet, etc.) |
| |
Periodical Print Indexes (Music Index, Humanities Index, etc.) |
| |
Government Documents |
| |
Music Listening Station (turntable, cassette, CD player) |
| |
DVD Monitors/Player Combo Units (3) |
| |
|
| Second Floor |
Books in General Collection (philosophy, religion, history, social sciences, law, etc.) |
| |
|
| Third Floor |
Music Scores (collections, composer.s works, miniature scores, piano vocal scores, etc.) |
| |
Music Books (books about music, composers, etc.) |
| |
Videos (interfiled with books by call number-subject) |
| |
Music Recordings (classical and jazz CDs, student and faculty recitals, etc.) |
| |
Books in General Collection (education, language & literature, health, medicine,
technology, etc.) |
An online MAP is available to help you locate
areas of the Library.
How are the Music Materials Organized?
For the most part, music materials are organized according to the Library of Congress
Classification System. The Library of Congress Classification system uses letters and numbers
to group materials by their subject. It's easy to remember the classification area for music,
since the Library of Congress Classification uses the letter M for all music materials.
Whenever you want to find the music section in any academic library, just look for the
M's.
The Library of Congress Classification for music has three subsections: M, ML and MT.
M = Music Scores/Recordings
Classification numbers for frequently requested categories of scores and recordings in the M
subclass, include:
| M3 |
Collected works of individual composers (big names like Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, etc.) |
| M20 - M39 |
Piano music |
| M40 - M44 |
Violin Music |
| M60 - M111 |
Wind instrument music |
| M125 - M129 |
Guitar music |
| M177 - M990 |
Chamber music |
| M1000 - M1356 |
Orchestra/Band music |
| M1366 |
Jazz |
| M1500 |
Operas (recordings or full scores) |
| M1503 |
Vocal scores for operas and musical comedy |
| M1619 - M1621 |
Art songs |
| M1626 - M1853 |
Music from various world cultures |
| M1630.18 |
Popular/Rock music |
ML = Literature on Music
Classification numbers for frequently requested subjects in the ML subclass, include:
| ML198 - ML360 |
History of music from various world cultures |
| ML385 - ML429 |
Biographies of musicians |
| ML3790 |
Music business |
| ML3795 |
Careers in music |
MT = Musical Instruction and
Study
Classification numbers for frequently requested subjects in the MT
subclass, include:
| MT40 - MT67 |
Composition |
| MT69 |
Improvisation |
| MT70 - MT86 |
Orchestra and orchestration |
| MT90 - MT146 |
Analytical guides |
| MT170 - MT810 |
Instrumental techniques |
| MT820 - MT949 |
Singing and voice culture |
| MT955 - MT960 |
Production of operas, music in theaters |
Resources to Help You Find What You Need:
Reference Materials (located on the first floor)
- Dictionaries and Encyclopedias
-
Reference sources, including encyclopedias, dictionaries, and biographical sources, are often
good places to begin your research. These sources can help you gain an overview of your
topic, providing background information on major trends, events, styles, genres, works,
individuals, and concepts. They may also include bibliographies that cite the most important
literature on your topic, that is, up to the date of publication; for more recent literature
you will have to search elsewhere.
To find music dictionaries and encyclopedias in the library, look in the Reference section
under ML100 for general works and
ML102 for works on
specific topics. In the ML102 section, works
are arranged on the shelf
alphabetically by topic; a jazz encyclopedia, for example, is shelved under ML102 J, and encyclopedia of opera under
ML102 O.
A list of some of the more useful dictionaries and encyclopedias for general music, music
education, and jazz research can be found on the General Music Sources page of the Library's Research Guide for
Music.
- Biographical Dictionaries
-
In addition to the biographical information contained in the general music dictionaries and
encyclopedias, the Library also includes several biographical dictionaries of musicians and
composers. Biographical dictionaries are located in the ML105 section of the Reference area of
the Library. See the General Music Sources page of the Library's Research Guide for
Music.
Finding Books, Scores, and Sound Recordings Owned by the UWG
Library To find books, scores, and recordings, as well as videos and other
materials owned by the UWG Library, use the Library Catalog (GIL).
The catalog provides you with three options for searching:
| Quick Search: |
Used for quick, simple searches, by keyword, topic, or subject. |
| Keyword Search: |
Used to construct complex searches by choosing from a variety of options. The
Keyword Search screen is helpful if you are looking for specific items or if you wish to
create a precise search
strategy. |
| Exact Search: |
Used for "exact" searches when you know the author, title, subject, journal title,
etc. |
Tips for Finding Books:
Searching for music books (which are defined as principally text, as opposed to musical
notation) is very similar to searching for books in other non-music subjects. Books may be
written ABOUT composers/musicians, BY composers/musicians,
or on any musical TOPIC, such as the development of the symphony, or 12-tone
music. Music books will be located in the ML or
MT sections of the Library.
To search for books ABOUT a composer or musician:
Using the Keyword Search screen, enter the composer's/musician's last name in
the search box. Then use the drop-down menu and choose "Subject"; e.g., search by "Subject",
search for "Bach".
To search for books, music scores, and recordings BY composers/musicians:
Using the Keyword Search screen enter the last name of the composer/musician
in the search box. Then, use the drop-down menu and choose "Author." This will give you a
complete list of writings, compositions and recordings of this composer. To narrow your
search, use the Narrow My Search feature, and choose the appropriate "Medium"
or "Item Type"
(Book, Music Score, Sound Recording, Video Recording).
To search for books on music TOPICS:
Using the Keyword Search screen enter one or more terms which describe your
topic. Then, use the drop-down menu and choose "Keyword Anywhere" or "Keyword (Title /
Subject)."
Tips for Finding Scores & Sound Recordings: Finding
music scores and recordings in a library catalog is a bit more difficult than finding books.
Most books have a fairly unique title (e.g. David Copperfield, The Scarlet Letter), while much
of music does not. For example, one famous piano sonata by Beethoven might have any of the
following titles, and perhaps others. (Note:
this is only an example; obviously Beethoven (1770-1827) was
not composing music before 1750!):
- Moonlight Sonata
- Piano sonata no. 14
- Sonata in C# minor
- Sonata no. 14
- Sonata quasi una fantasia
- Sonate fuer das Pianoforte
Any of these could appear on the title page of a score or on the label of a recording, so you
may need to try a number of different search methods/terms when searching for these items.
Keyword Search
From the Library Catalog
homepage, click on Keyword Search. In the lower left-hand corner of the screen,
click on Narrow My Search. In the search fields/boxes, type what you know of the composer's name and
title of the work and/or instrumentation. In general, it is better to use only the operative words. Pachelbel, for
example, is as effective as Johann Pachelbel. Opus numbers and thematic catalog numbers (e.g.
"BWV" numbers for Bach, "RV" for Vivaldi) may be used. Click "GO" (for more information on
opus and thematic catalog numbers see: http://www.classical.net/music/composer/opus.html
| Example: |
bach AND goldberg variations |
Generic Title Works
Many works have a generic title: symphony, fugue, prelude, etude, overture, concerto, etc. In
general, either use the plural form of the title or truncate using the
$ sign.
| Examples: |
vivaldi AND bassoon concertos AND RV 501 |
| |
haydn AND symphon$ AND 104
|
Uniform Titles
Music is published throughout the world in a wide variety of languages. To gather all the different versions of a work
in one place, the library assigns a uniform title.
| Examples: |
goldberg variations =
Goldberg-Variationen |
| |
brandenburg concertos =
Brandenburgische Konzerte |
To find a uniform title, type what you know in a keyword search and look at one of the resulting records. The uniform
title should appear near the top of the record, or it may be combined with the composer's name near the bottom. Once you
find the uniform title, redo the search using one or more elements from the uniform title.
| Examples: |
Search 1 |
Search 2 |
| |
bach AND art of fugue |
bach AND kunst der fuge |
| |
vivaldi AND four seasons |
vivaldi AND quattro stagioni |
How to Find Information About a Composition
Sometimes it can be quite a challenge to find information about a particular musical
composition. For a list of tips on how to do so, consult the section of the Library Tutorial
on How
to Find Information About a Composition.
Need to Find Historical or Cultural Information on a Time
Period?
To find information about a specific time period, start with the Non Music Sources page.
If you need additional information, do a Keyword or Subject search in the Library
Catalog or consult a Reference Library.
Finding Books and Scores Not Owned by the UWG Library
Use the following methods to locate and obtain books not owned by the UWG
Library:
- GIL Universal Catalog and GIL
Express
- If there is a specific book or music score you are interested in and the UWG Library does
not own it, you may be able to obtain the item from one of the other University System of
Georgia Colleges and Universities by searching for the item in the GIL Universal Catalog and
then ordering it through GIL Express. The service is an innovative resource sharing initiative that
allows students, faculty and staff access to all eligible circulating material at all USG
libraries. Materials ordered through GIL Express are sent to your home institution for
pickup. For more information on this service, see the GIL Express
Information page.
- WorldCat
- WorldCat is a library catalog for materials owned by libraries worldwide. For comprehensive
research of library collections, search both the Universal Catalog and WorldCat. Current UWG
students, faculty, and staff may request materials located by using WorldCat, but not owned by
any of the University System of Georgia libraries, through Interlibrary Loan.
Music Periodicals (magazines and scholarly journals)
The Library provides access to a number of periodicals (magazines and scholarly journals)
relating to music and music related topics.
- Current Print Subscriptions
- Consult the UWG Print Journals List for Music
to determine which music journals and magazines the Library currently subscribes to. Print
periodicals are located on the main floor of the library and are shelved alphabetically by
title.
- Online Journals (E-Journals)
- For a list of online music journals currently subscribed to by the Library, consult the
E-Journals Search for Journal
Titles that provide full-text online. Then, type the word "Music" in the
search field, click on the "Phrase" radio-button and click on "Search."
- Journal Locator
- If you are looking for a specific journal, use the Journal
Locator. From the main screen, type in the exact name of the journal title for which
you are searching. The results list will tell you in which database(s) the journal is
located.
Searching for Articles
Use the following print and electronic indexes to find articles and other materials on
music-related topics. Once you have found the articles you want, you may need to check GIL,
the Libraries' online catalog, to determine if we own (subscribe to) the journals.
Music Print Indexes
- The Music Index (1949 to the present) On our shelves at: ML118 .M84
- A comprehensive guide to music periodical literature from over 350 journals covering the area
of musicology, world music, history of music, musical instruments, computer music, book
reviews, discographies, performance reviews & sound recording reviews. Scope is International.
No abstracts or annotations. Quarterly updates are supplanted by annual culminations. The
Music Index is located on the main floor of Ingram Library in the Periodical Indexes
section.
General/All Purpose Indexes
- Reader's Guide to Periodical Literature. Call Number: AI3 .R48.Location:
Periodical Indexes (Main Floor)
- Humanities Index. Call Number: AI3 .H85. Location: Periodical
Indexes (Main Floor)
Music Online Databases
The following databases can be found on the Library's Databases
page. Click on [All Subjects] and scroll down the page until you find the database in which
you are interested.
- JSTOR
- Provides full text access to back-runs of scholarly journals in art, music, performing
arts, literature, education,
history and religion. Thirty-two music journals are featured in JSTOR and provisions for access to more recent issues
is provided by a moving wall of three to five years.
- Project Muse
- Full Text of over 220 journal titles from 37 scholarly publishers. Covers the fields of
literature and criticism,
history, the visual and performing arts, cultural studies, education, political science, gender studies, economics, and
others.
The following indexes and databases do not provide the in-depth coverage for studying Music as
the indexes above. They do cover a variety of subjects and topics across multiple disciplines
and provide good general indexing of magazines, newspapers, and core academic journals. In
addition, they provide full text articles from many of the sources cited.
-
Academic Search Premier
- General periodical index covering approximately 3,000 periodicals
from which 1,000 are provided in full-text. Users may perform both
keyword and subject searches and can restrict searches to pull only
peer reviewed articles.
- American Humanities
Index
- References to articles, essays and reviews, as well as original creative works including,
poems, fiction, photographs, paintings and illustrations in the humanities.
- Humanities Index -- On our shelves at: Ref Indexes AI3 .H85
- Provides citations to periodical articles on the humanities. Subject
areas covered include archaeology and classical studies, folklore,
history, language, literature, performing arts, philosophy, religion
and theology. Humanities Index is located
on the Main Floor of Ingram Library.
- Readers' Guide to Periodical Literature --
On our shelves at: Ref. Indexes AI3 .R48
- Identifies articles from the popular press. Magazines such as Time,
Newsweek, Psychology Today, etc. are included. The Readers' Guide to Periodical
Literature is located on the Main Floor of Ingram Library.
- Research Library at ProQuest
- Coverage of a broad range of subjects including arts, education, humanities, psychology,
social sciences, and women's
interests.
Online Listening Sources
- Classical Music Library
(Classical.com)
- Starting July 2004, the Library began offering a new online listening service for
Classical music called Classical Music
Library, which includes over 30,000 classical music recordings, with playlists, composer and artist biographies, and
program notes. Users may browse by composer, artist, instrument, category, etc. or use an advanced search (with search
tips). Classical Music Library may be accessed from the Library.s Databases page at:
http://www.westga.edu/~library/databases.shtml/. From this page, click on the Music category to locate the Classical
Music Library service.
Still Not Finding Enough Information?
If you find a citation to an article in one of the above databases that is not available full
text, you can order it through the Interlibrary Loan department and they will attempt to obtain it for you from
another library. You may also order books through ILL, but first check the Universal Catalog
to make sure that the book isn't readily available from one of the other University System of
Georgia libraries.
The average turnaround time when ordering through ILL is 8 days; however, articles often take
less time. You will be
notified by email when your items arrive. Books are held at the Circulation Desk. Articles may
be held at the
Circulation Desk or delivered electronically via email, when possible.
Accessing the Library's Databases Off-Campus
To access the Library databases off-campus, you will need the password for this semester. To
access the password, go to Your Account and Password and click
on Go Here to Get the Current Library Password
Enter your UWG ID number (starting with 917). Enter your last name in the box below. Then
click on OK. The screen that
follows will provide you with the password.
Need Additional Help?
Consult:
- The Reference Librarians on the main floor of the library
- Brian Kooy, Liaison to the Music Department
You may also want to consult:
- Tutorial for Music Students
- Learn how to locate materials in the library.
- General Music Resources
- Lists many of the music research sources (dictionaries, encyclopedias, etc.) owned by the
Library.
- Online Library
Learning
Center
- Designed to take you through the steps in the research process (includes information on
plagiarism, what it is and how to avoid it!).
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