LibGuides: Guitar: Research

Articles

Articles are great for research because they generally cover a very narrow topic in great detail. In addition, scholarly journal articles generally include a bibliography where you can find more resources on the same topic.

Browse Professional Journals

Professional journals are a great place to learn from experts about the most recent developments in your field.
Search articles online or browse the Allen Library current periodicals (near the Allen entrance). See especially:

Acoustic Guitar
Available online only.
Guitar Player
Available online (1992-2020).
International Musician by American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada
Available in print (last two years on current periodicals shelf) and online (2003 - present).
Soundboard by Guitar Foundation of America
Latest issues available in print only. Online issues available through December 2021.

Journal Article Databases

Library databases provide citations for articles, book chapters, and more. Most articles/chapters focus on a narrow and specific topic, so they are great for deeper research. To get started:

Choose a database.
Search for keywords such as genres, topics, names of people, etc.
Limit your results by date, language, and more with the the left-hand menu on the results page.

Need more help?

See our Article help page for step-by-step instructions and videos to help you search databases and find full-text articles. And you can always ask a librarian for individual help.

Music Article Databases

Music Index Online This link opens in a new window
Article citations from over 700 music journals.
Music Periodicals Database This link opens in a new window
Article citations from over 400 music journals.
RILM This link opens in a new window
Citations for scholarly music and dance books, articles, dissertations, and more.
JSTOR This link opens in a new window
Full-text articles from almost 100 scholarly music, dance, and theatre journals, plus other subjects. Excludes recent years.

Books

History Books in the Allen Library (selections)

The Cambridge Companion to the Guitar by Victor Anand Coelho (Editor)
Call Number: ML1015 G9 C36 [Allen shelves]
Publication Date: 2003
Thirteen essays covering different traditions, styles, and instruments, written by some of the most influential players, teachers, and guitar historians in the world.
The Guitar by Chris Gibson; Andrew Warren
Call Number: ML1015 G9 G52 2021 [Allen shelves]
How guitars are made, where the much-cherished guitar timbers come from, and the people who craft those timbers along the way.
The Guitar in America by Jeffrey J. Noonan
Call Number: ML1015 G9 N66 V53 [Allen shelves]
Publication Date: 2007
A history of the instrument from America's late Victorian period to the Jazz Age. Introduces musicians and examines techniques and instruments along the way.
Instruments of Desire by Steve Waksman
Call Number: ML1015 G9 W23 1999
A full account of the historical and cultural significance of the electric guitar, an exploration of how and why the instrument has had such broad musical and cultural impact.

Find more history books

Browse by subject in the catalog, for example:
Guitar
Guitar > History

Browse the shelves by call number:

Call Number	Topic
ML	Guitar history (general)
ML	Guitar construction
ML	Guitar music and playing

Performer Biographies in the Allen Library (selections)

Andrés Segovia by Andrés Segovia; W. F. O'Brien (Translator)
Call Number: ML419 S45 [Allen shelves]
Publication Date: 1976
Segovia's autobiography of the years 1893-1920.
Django Reinhardt by Charles Delaunay
Call Number: ML419 R45 D4 1982 [Allen shelves]
A portrait of the wild and independent gypsy guitarist who exasperated people who lived by schedules and gambled away a week's salary in a night, but who played the guitar like no one before or since.
Francisco Tárrega, 1852-1909 by Adrián Rius
Call Number: ML410 T19 R58 2006 [Allen shelves]
The first English biography of Francisco Tárrega, the great Spanish guitarist, with photographs and illustrations of historic documents.
The Original Guitar Hero and the Power of Music by Dean Alger
Call Number: ML419 J625 A33 2014 [Allen shelves]
Places Lonnie Johnson, virtuoso influential guitarist, in the context of American race relations and analyzes the technique and style of his major recordings .

Find more biographies

Search performer names in the catalog, for example:
Hendrix, Jimi
Villa-Lobos, Heitor

Browse the shelves by call number:

Call Number	Topic
ML410	Composer biographies (includes guitarist-composers)
ML419	Other instrument performer biographies (includes guitarists)

Reference

Reference resources include dictionaries, encyclopedias, and more.
They often provide a short overview of a topic, then point to more resources you can use for further research.

Music Reference Databases

Garland Encyclopedia of World Music Online This link opens in a new window
Essays about music from all parts of the world.
Grove/Oxford Music Online This link opens in a new window
Extensive music encyclopedia with articles, works lists, and citations.
Oxford Bibliographies - Music This link opens in a new window
Lists of resources for advanced research on many music subjects.

Books in the Allen Library (selections)

Chamber Music by John H. Baron
Call Number: ML128 C4 B37 2010 [Allen reference]
A guide to where to find answers to questions about chamber music of all types. Most of the literature is books, articles, dissertations and theses, and essays or chapters.
Guitar and Vihuela by Meredith A. McCutcheon
Call Number: ML128 G96 M1 [Allen reference]
Publication Date: 1985
An annotated bibliography of literature on the people, music, design, construction, and iconography of the guitar and vihuela.
The Guitar in American Banjo, Mandolin and Guitar Periodicals, 1882-1933 by Jeffrey Noonan
Call Number: ML128 G96 N66 [Allen reference]
Publication Date: 2009
Lists articles, advertisements, illustrations, photographs, and musical works that document the use and place of the guitar in a segment of America’s musical culture. Includes nearly 5500 entries and over 100 pages of indices.

Find more reference books

See all guitar reference books in the catalog:
Guitar reference
String reference

Browse the Reference shelves by call number:

Call Number	Topic
ML128 G96	Guitar bibliographies
ML128 S9	String bibliographies

Suggest a Resource

Know of a resource you think should be added to this guide? Let us know!

Want to suggest we purchase something new? Contact Tracey Rudnick (rudnick@hartford.edu).

Find Full Text Articles

Search eJournal Locator for the journal title:

Need help? See our article help page or ask a librarian.