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Music Education: Music

Online Resources

Library Audio Databases

Library Video Databases

More Online Music Resources

See our related guides for more online music resources:

How to Find Music

Find Scores and Recordings

sample catalog search for 'tropic winter nathaniel dett' limited to Printed Music (All); results show catalog record with library location and call number

In the Allen Library

  1. Open the library catalog.
  2. Search the title and composer's name.
  3. Limit to the format you desire.
  4. Find a result for the piece you need.
  5. Use the location and call number to find the item.

Image: Catalog search with the format limited to Printed Music, and search result showing location and call number.


Online

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.


Get help

Searching for music can be tricky! If you can't find what you need, ask a librarian for help.

Browse the Shelves

young man looks at library shelvesBrowsing is a great way to discover new music if you don't have a specific piece in mind!
Use these call numbers to find music for the classroom:

Call Number Genre
M6 – M990 Instrumental solo and chamber ensembles
M1000 – M1075 Orchestra
M1100 – M1160 String orchestra
M1200 – M1270 Band
M1375 – M1420 Children's instrumental music
M1497 – M1998 
    M1530 – M1610
    M1990 – M1998
Secular vocal
    Choral 
    Children's

M1999 – M2199
    M2020 – M2101
    M2190 – M2196

Sacred vocal
    Choral 
    Children's

Looking for recordings instead? Swap out "M" in the call numbers above for one of the letter combinations below to find recordings of that same genre.

Example: 
M1420 = Children's orchestra, printed music
MD1420 = Children's orchestra, CDs

Call Number Letters Format
MD CDs
MR LPs (records)
MO DVDs
MV VHS tapes

Use a Repertoire Guide

Repertoire Guide: A list of music for a specific instrument or group. Often describes style, difficulty, or musical features.
Here are a few selected guides in the Allen Library:

Find more repertoire guides

Browse the Reference shelves by call number:

Call Number Topic
ML128 B2 Band music guides
ML128 C4 Chamber music guides
ML128 C48 Choral music guides
ML128 N8 Orchestra music guides

Browse the catalog by subject:
Band music > Bibliography
Choral music > Bibliography
Choruses > Bibliography
Orchestral music > Bibliography

Browse the Catalog for Music

If you're not looking for a particular piece, browse the catalog using subjects, for example:

Band music
Choruses 
Juvenile music
String orchestra music

You can find even more subjects in individual catalog records. Find a piece of your desired ensemble/genre, then click on a subject to find more materials with that subject:

catalog record with Subjects section circled, text to the side reads 'click on to find more materials with the same subject'

Listening & Viewing Equipment

listening/viewing room with audio/visual equipment

Come to the Allen Library! Our listening carrels and listening/viewing rooms can play:

  • CDs, LPs, cassette tapes, reel-to-reel tapes
  • DVDs, Blu-rays, VHS tapes
  • Your devices via Bluetooth, VGA, HDMI, AUX cable, Apple TV

Equipment is generally first-come, first-served, but rooms may be reserved for certain uses. Contact us (860.768.4840) for more information.

How do I choose the right format?

person with question mark 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:

catalog record showing 'vocal scores with piano' under Subjects and '1 vocal score' under Description

 

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