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Music

Use this guide to find sources for your music papers and assignments.

Help with Citations

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Use this guide to get help with MLA citations and formatting: MLA Citation Guide.

Using Keywords for Music

The words you use to search make a difference when searching in library databases. Use these tips to help you find sources more quickly:

  • Search for a composer's name combined with a specific piece of music or theme. For example:
    • Beethoven AND early life
    • Beethoven AND piano concertos
    • Beethoven AND hearing loss
  • Search for a piece of music combined with a theme or historical importance. For example:
    • Gershwin AND Rhapsody in Blue AND jazz
  • Getting too many results? Add another search term.
  • Not finding enough? Remove or change your search terms.

If you're still stuck, try using the tutorial below: 

 

Find Scores

  • Perform a keyword search in OneSearch on your topic.
    • Choose keywords that describe the composer or work title that you are looking for
    • Consider how common your keyword(s) are to other composers or works and be more specific if necessary (e.g. search johann sebastian bach instead of bach)
    • Consider alternate names or titles as search terms
  • Use the filters on the left to limit your search:
    • Under Resource Type, select Score
    • Under Collection, select "Music Score Collection"