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MUS 781 Introduction to Music Bibliography

The purpose of this guide is to organize the most relevant USD Library resources for participants in MUS 781.

Research a Topic

1. Encyclopedias

  • Try The New Grove Dictionary of Music & Musicians first. This 29-volume set is the premiere encyclopedia on music, with articles written by experts in their fields. Print volumes can be found in the reference section: REFERENCE COLLECTION / 1ST FLOOR ; ML100 .N48 2001. It may also be accessed online through Oxford Music Online. Composer articles can be extensive. Also useful are the works lists included for most composers -- these are arranged by genre & provide identifying information, dates of composition, and the location of the work within the composer's complete works (when applicable). Articles also include bibliographies that can help you get started with your research. 

2. Books

  • Check the Library Catalog for book-length studies of the composer. Begin with a "Subject" search, as this will find the most relevant sources. Most composer biographies will be located in the call number ML 410, which is arranged alphabetically by composer. 
  • If there aren't many books devoted to your subject, also try a "Keyword" search. Select "Set Other Search Limits" to set "Item Type" to book, and select "Set Limits". Once you have limited the format to books, search the composer's name using a "Keyword" search from the basic search screen. This will retrieve books that, for instance, have a chapter devoted to the composer. 
  • The call number ML 134, most of which is in the reference section, has thematic catalogs and bibliographies for individual composers. Thematic catalogs attempt to list all the works of a particular composer and include incipits and basic information such as date of composition and first performance, location of the manuscript, early editions, and more.

1. See information tab Researching a Composer.

2. Books

  • Look at biographies about the composer to find information about his/her works. Check the index to see if a particular piece is discussed.
  • Search the Library Catalog for other books that discuss the work(s). For instance, if you're writing about a Mozart string quartet(s), do an AND, OR, NOT (Keyword Boolean) search in the Library Catalog for Mozart AND quartets. Be sure to set a search limit to limit the format to books, or you'll get all of the scores and recordings of the quartets too. Try alternate search terms as well -- in this case, Mozart AND chamber would yield additional results.

3. Articles

  • If you don't find enough information in books, try searching for articles in databases. Articles tend to be more specific in their focus than books, so they can be a great source of information on particular compositions. 
  • Try the database RILM first -- it's scholarly and is the most comprehensive database of music literature.
  • JSTOR has full-text articles from core journals in all fields. It's great for finding music literature published before 1967, when RILM coverage starts. 

1. Find basic information in reference sources such as encyclopedias. For instance: 

  • The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians is the premiere encyclopedia on music, with articles written by experts in their fields. Print volumes can be found in the reference section: REFERENCE COLLECTION / 1ST FLOOR ; ML100 .N48 2001. It may also be accessed online through Oxford Music Online. Articles also include bibliographies that can help you get started with your research. 
  • The Garland Encyclopedia of World Music is an excellent source on music of all the world's peoples. The print volumes can be found in 3RD FLOOR (USDF); ML100 .G16 1998.

2. Books

  • Search the Library Catalog for books that discuss your topic. If your topic is somewhat broad, a 'Subject' search will probably be most effective. If you're not sure what the appropriate subject heading would be, try a 'Keyword' or 'Boolean' search using logical keywords. If your results are overwhelming, look at a few relevant items to see what subject headings are used. Then try a 'Subject' search on those terms to retrieve more relevant results. Remember to set search limits to format: book.
  • Search Tip: Try a 'Subject' search if your topic is broad or if a 'Keyword' or 'Boolean' search yields too many results. Try a 'Keyword' or 'Boolean' search for more focused or obscure topics, as this will look for the word(s) anywhere within the record. For instance, 'Keywod' searching looks within the Tables of Contents when they're available, while 'Subject' searching looks only at the assigned subject headings.

3. Articles

  • If you don't find enough information in books, try searching for articles in databases. Articles tend to be more specific in their focus than books, so they can be a great source of information on particular compositions. 
  • Try the database RILM first -- it's scholarly and is the most comprehensive database of music literature.
  • JSTOR has full-text articles from core journals in all fields. It's great for finding music literature published before 1967, when RILM coverage starts. 

Time-tested tips

Research tips:

  • Keep track of your searches.
    • What was searched, what kind of search (e.g., keyword, subject heading, author), what database was searched.
    • Making a printout of the first page of the result set is often an easy way to do it.
  • Keep track of your result sets as well.
    • For example, how many “hits” you got on a specific search in a specific database.
  • Date your information.
    • Databases are updated frequently and your counts (and information) will be out of date quickly.
  • Think creatively. Think of different terms to broaden, narrow or limit a search.
    • You may notice words used in citations that may help focus or expand your search.  Don’t forget to use dictionaries and encyclopedias to help you find more terms.
  • Be smart!
    • When subject headings, thesaurus terms, etc. are used to categorize a citation, use that subject heading to find other articles, books, etc. on the same topic.

  • Once you have a citation for an article or a book, whether you found it in a database or a bibliography or cited in an article, what do you do next?
    • If you have an article citation, be sure to check the Journals List on the library home page to see if the full-text article is available online.
    • Look in the Library Catalog to see if USD owns the item.
      • If the item is not owned by USD, then you need to broaden your net.
      • Search “All Locations” in the Library Catalog to see if the item is owned by another South Dakota library. If so, and the item is a book or a score, you can use the request feature to request the item from that campus.
      • You can also broaden your book or score search to the WorldCat, and request items held at institutions world-wide.
    • If the item is not in the Library Catalog or is a periodical article not held at USD, you need to request the item through Interlibrary Loan. You can fill out the form online.

Feel free to ask your friendly music librarian for assistance!

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