Music

Think of the best keywords to enter and be ready to change them as you pursue your topic. Try using a subject encyclopedia or dictionary for specialized terminology. Get ideas for new keywords by carefully examining the subject fields in your first results.

Try these search features:

• Use quotes to search for phrases (example: "Romanticism in Music”)
  
  
• Use Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT) to broaden or narrow your search (example: Music AND Criticism)
  
  
• Use truncation (example: music* will retrieve music, musical, musician, musicality)
  
  
• Sort results by date or relevance
  
  
• Browse subject headings

Visit the Search Techniques LibGuide for more tips and trick

Books are the best source for indepth information when you really need to know a subject in and out. Typical books are structured in such a way as to lead you from little knowledge about a subject to a more thorough understanding; this cannot usually be said for web resources or articles. Scholarly articles are typically written by and for experts in a field and so cannot be easily understood by someone that is not familiar with the jargon of that area. Web resources are often the best option for up to date information, but usually do not provide any in depth examination of the information.

Materials at the Asa H. Gordon Library are housed using the Library of Congress Classification System. You can find books related to Music in the "M" class. 

M    Music

1-1.A15 ...... Music printed or copied in manuscript in the United States or the colonies before 1860

1.A5-3.3 ..... Collections

5-1480 ........ Instrumental music

1490 ........... Music printed or copied in manuscript before 1700

1495-2199 .. Vocal music

5000 ........... Unidentified compositions

ML Literature on music

1-5 ................. Periodicals. Serials

12-21 ............. Directories. Almanacs

25-28 ............. Societies and other organizations

29-31 ............. Special collections

32-33 ............. Institutions

35-38 ............. Festivals. Congresses

40-44 ............. Programs

45 .................. Circulars and advertisements

46 .................. Scrapbooks

47-54.8 .......... Librettos. Texts. Scenarios

55-89 ............. Aspects of the field of music as a whole

93-96.5 .......... Manuscript studies and manuscripts

100-109 ......... Dictionaries. Encyclopedias

110-111.5 ....... Music librarianship

112-112.5 ....... Music printing and publishing

112.8-158.8 .... Bibliography

159-3785 ........ History and criticism

3790-3792 ...... Music trade

3795 ............... Music as a profession. Vocational guidance

3797-3799.5 ... Musical research

3800-3923 ...... Philosophical and societal aspects of music. Physics and acoustics of music. Physiological aspects of music

3928-3930 ...... Literature for children

 

MT Instruction and study

1 ............. General works

2.5 .......... Music study abroad

3-5 .......... History

5.5-7 ....... Music theory

9-15 ........ Printed pedagogical aids

17 ........... Music in special education

18 ........... Music in colleges and universities

20-34 ...... Systems and methods

35-39 ...... Notation

40-67 ...... Composition. Elements and techniques of music

68 ........... Improvisation. Accompaniment. Transposition

70-74 ...... Instrumentation and orchestration

75 ........... Interpretation

80 ........... Embellishment

82 ........... Memorizing

85 ........... Conducting. Score reading and playing

87 ........... Community music

88 ........... Administration and instruction of vocal groups

90-146 .... Analysis and appreciation of musical works

150 ......... Audio-visual aids

155.......... Music theory for children

165 ......... Tuning

170-810 .. Instrumental techniques

820-915 .. Singing and vocal technique

918-948 .. School music

950 ......... Music to accompany instruction in ballet, folk dancing, gymnastics, etc.

955-956 .. Musical theater

960 ......... Music in the theater