Music: A Research Guide

Music takes many forms around the world including Western music, which is the music of Europe and the Americas. There are two chief kinds of Western music, classical and popular . Classical music includes symphonies, operas, and ballets. Popular music includes country music, folk music, jazz, and rock music. This guide introduces researchers to some of the basic informational sources on the topic and aims to assist students and researcher in learning more about the instruments that make music and the performers who interpret it. The terms and phrases listed in the subject headings below can be used to search for more materials in the library's catalog and research databases. If you need further assistance, please ask a librarian.

Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians, 8th ed. by Nicolas Slonimsky. New York: Schirmer Books, 1992. ISBN: 0028724151.
Contains more than 15,000 biographies ranging from several lines to eight pages in length, Baker's provides unparalleled coverage of the world's greatest and lesser-known musicians in the uniquely insightful and always meticulous style of lexicographer extraordinaire Nicolas Slonimsky.

The Garland Encyclopedia of World Music edited by Bruno Nettl, et al. 10 vols. New York: Garland, 1998–2002.
10-volume series that takes a cultural approach to its focus on the music of all the world's peoples. Each volume is arranged topically, regionally, or by ethnic group, and complemented by an extensive index.

International Dictionary of Black Composers edited by Samuel A. Floyd. 2 vols. Chicago: Fitzroy Dearborn, 1999. ISBN: 1884964273.
The 185 signed essays, half of which are on classical composers, are accompanied by full-page portraits, are substantial in their coverage and analysis. Lists of compositions by genre, discographies, and printed works are included.

The New Grove Dictionary of American Music edited by H. Wiley Hitchcock and Stanley Sadie. 4 vols. New York: Grove's Dictionaries of Music, 1986. ISBN: 0943818362.
Covers American music including popular, jazz, folk, regional music, American composers and performers, publishing, periodicals, libraries, and American cities.

The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 2nd ed. by Stanley Sadie and John Tyrrell. New York: Grove, 2001. ISBN: 1561592390.
Covers the history and development of music, composers, performers, instruments, musical forms, terms and definitions, and musical cites and institutions, the set covers every type of music, from classical to popular to jazz. The edition contains more than 29,000 articles from more than 6,000 contributors and 5,000 illustrations.

Popular Musicians edited by Steve Hochman. 4 vols. Pasadena, CA: Salem Press, 1999. ISBN: 0893569860.
Includes over 500 alphabetically arranged, signed articles recap the careers, successes, and critical reputations of a wide range of contemporary artists. Also includes discography, awards, and cross-references to other relevant articles, glossary, bibliography, time line of first releases, index of song and album titles, and list of articles by musical style.

The Music Index. Warren, MI: Harmonie Park, 1949– . Quarterly.
An index to musical articles in over 300 periodicals that covers biographical, critical, historical, and analytical articles; notes premieres, obituaries, contests and awards, discography, and iconography. Arranged by subject.

Popular Song Index by Patricia Havlice. Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press, 1975. ISBN: 081080820X; First supplement, 1978. ISBN: 0810810999; Second supplement, 1984. ISBN: 0810816423; Third supplement, 1989. ISBN: 0810822024; Fourth supplement, 2005. ISBN: 0810852608.
Includes 35,000 songs dating back to 1940 from 710 sources including pop, folk, blues, gospel, art and opera. Indexed by title, 1st line, composer, and lyricist.

Song Finder: A Title Index to 32,000 Popular Songs in Collections, 1854–1992 edited by Gary Lynn Ferguson. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1995. ISBN: 0313294704.

Song Index: An Index to More than 12,000 Songs in 177 Song Collections Comprising 262 Volumes and Supplement edited by Minnie Earl Sears and Phyllis Crawford. 2 vols. North Haven, CT : Shoe String Press, 1966.

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8 Notes
www.8notes.com
Free classical and traditional sheet music, free popular and jazz riffs, free music lessons, free music resources.

All Music
www.allmusic.com
Guide to music including information on all types of music including rock, country, jazz, rap, reggae, new age, gospel, and easy listening. Search by artists, albums, songs, styles, labels.

Essentials of Music
www.essentialsofmusic.com
Guide to classical music including eras, composers, and a glossary.

Music for the Nation: American Sheet Music, 1820–1860 and 1870–1885
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/mussmhtml/
Contains more than 62,500 pieces of historical sheet music registered for copyright: more than 15,000 registered during the years 1820–1860 and more than 47,000 registered during the years 1870–1885.