Image: Catalog search with the format limited to Printed Music, and search result showing location and call number.
Can't visit the library? Use our guides to Music Scores Online or Streaming Audio & Video to find online score & recording sites, then search for the piece you need.
Searching for music can be tricky! If you can't find what you need, ask a librarian for help.
A subject in a catalog record tells you about that item's content, usually the topic or genre/form/instrumentation (for music). They are controlled by catalogers so there is only one subject per topic. So instead of having to guess at various different keyword searches (piano/keyboard/clavier, techniques/methods, etc.), you can search just one subject to find all materials with that subject (Piano > Methods).
Image: Catalog search set to Subject and Printed Music, and search result showing location and call number.
If you don't know what subject to search, you can find subjects in individual catalog records. Use keyword searching to find one item with a subject that's applicable to your search, then click on that subject to find more materials with the same subject:
If we don't own the music you need, you can often loan items from another library through Interlibrary Loan:
Image: WorldCat search with format limited to Musical Scores, and resulting record with ILL link.
Catalog searching (especially for music) can be tricky! If you can't find what you need, ask a librarian for help.
Here are some of the most common formats for printed music:
Score
Shows all instruments
Miniscore/study score
Small version of the full score
Vocal score
Piano and vocal line(s) only
Parts
Individual pieces for each instrument
You can determine the format by looking at the catalog record, in the Subjects or Description section:
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