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FAQ - Finding Articles about Music (Music Library)

 

Finding Articles about Music

Contents:

General Indexes and Bibliographies

Music Index (Ref.) ML1 .M823
Location: Index Table (far side)
Indexes the periodicals listed in the front of each issue (note that the list also includes the abbreviations for the periodical titles).
Print copy from 1949. One-year cumulations (1949-1978, 1989-1996) or two-year cumulations (1979-1988). 1997- as monthly issues. Usually runs a few months behind.
Online version. Accessible (1) Through the World Wide Web. Click on IUCAT/DATABASES, then Humanities and Social Sciences, then Music Index or go directly to the URL: http://www.indiana.edu/~librcsd/db/rmt/949585431.html.
*Database available to users on IU Bloomington Campus only

RILM Abstracts of Musical Literature (Ref.) ML1 .I62
Location: Index Table (far side)
Includes citations and abstracts (summaries) of articles, including some in periodicals not indexed by Music Index as well as books.
One attractive feature: it translates the titles and (generally) has abstracts of articles in foreign languages.
Print copy from 1967-
Online version. Accessible (1) Through the World Wide Web. Click on IUCAT/DATABASES, then Humanities and Social Sciences, then RILM Abstracts of Music Lit or go directly to the URL: http://www.music.indiana.edu/reference/databases/rilm.html. (2) Through INFOGATE: choose (5) Humanities and Social Sciences, then (19) RILM Abstracts of Music Lit.
* Database available to authorized IU Bloomington users (on or off campus)
See our handout on how to use this product.

International Index to Music Periodicals (IIMP)
Started current indexing in 1996 and is in the process of adding material going back into the 19th century. The current citations include abstracts (summaries).
Accessible only online through the World Wide Web. Click on IUCAT/DATABASES, then Humanities and Social Sciences, then International Index to Music Periodicals or go directly to the URL: http://www.indiana.edu/~librcsd/db/rmt/0018.html or to the URL: http://music.chadwyck.com/.
* Database available to authorized IU Bloomington users (on or off campus)

CARL UnCover
A table of contents listing of well over 17,000 periodicals (including many musical ones) from 1988 to the present.
Accessible (1) through the World Wide Web. Click on IUCAT/Databases, then Multidisciplinary/General Databases, then CARL Uncover & Reveal or go directly to the URL: http://www.music.indiana.edu/reference/databases/carlun.html or to the URL: http://uncweb.carl.org/. (2) Through INFOGATE: choose (4) CARL UnCover/Reveal.
* Database available to authorized IU Bloomington users (on or off campus)
See the Main Library's handouts on how to use this product.

Arts and Humanities Citation Index (AHCI)
A multidisciplinary index to the journal literature of the arts and humanities. Not only gives citations but helps you to trace the bibliographic links between the items (who has cited whom).
Accessible through the World Wide Web. Click on IUCAT/DATABASES, then Humanities and Social Sciences, then Arts and Humanities Citation Index or go directly to the URL: http://www.indiana.edu/~librcsd/db/rmt/905285315.html.

The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians [1980] (Ref.) ML100.G9
Location: Index Table
The entries on composers, performers, and topics generally include excellent bibliographies of articles and other items through the late 1970s.
See also the New Grove relatives (The New Grove Dictionary of Musical Instruments, The New Grove Dictionary of American Music, The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, and The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz, shelved next to the New Grove on the Index Table).

Music Article Guide 1966-1975 (Ref.) ML1.M786; 1975- Microfilm ML1443; current in periodical browsing.

Bibliographie des Musikschrifttums (Ref.) ML113.B48
Covers 1936-39, 1950- . About eleven years behind.

Music Periodical Literature: An Annotated Bibliography of Indexes and Bibliographies [1978] (Ref) ML128.P24 M43

International Music Journals [1990] (Ref.) ML128.P24 I6
General information on journals and their coverage.

Music and Dance Periodicals: An International Directory and Guidebook [1989] (Ref.) ML128.P24 R6

Guides to Individual Composers and Performers

  • Search in: Duckles and Reed, Music Reference and Research Materials: An Annotated Bibliography, entries 4.89-4.132 (Ref.) ML113.D83 1997
  • Do title searches in IUCAT for the following series:
    • T=Garland Composer Resource Manuals
    • T=Bio-Bibliographies in Music

    or perform the following searches:

    • S=MUSIC--BIO-BIBLIOGRAPHY
    • K=BIBLIOGRAPHY.SU. [NAME OF COMPOSER]

  • In the Reference section, check the volumes with call numbers beginning with ML134. They are in alphabetical order by the composer's last name. This section of the Reference collection includes bio-bibliographies, research and information guides, biographies, and thematic indexes of the works of individual composers and, sometimes, performers.

    Some examples of ML134 holdings:

    • Writings about Henry Cowell: An Annotated Bibliography (Ref.) ML134.C9 M3
    • Gustav Holst (1874-1934): A Centenary Documentation (Ref.) ML134.H75 S55

    Two particularly useful composer bibliographies are:

    • Bach-Bibliographie (Ref.) ML134.B1 B12 Index to writings about J.S. Bach through 1980. Supplement for 1981-85 in Bach-Jahrbuch (ML410 .B12 A6 1989).
    • Johannes Brahms: An Annotated Bibliography of the Literature Through 1982 (Ref.) ML134.B8 Q5

Selected Indexes and Bibliographies of Specific Subjects

  • Periodical Literature on American Music, 1620-1920: A Classified List with Annotations [1988] (Ref.) ML120.U5 W29
  • The Art Song: A Research and Information Guide [1987] (Ref.) ML128.S3 S45
  • Black Music in the U.S.: An Annotated Bibliography of Selected Reference and Research Materials [1983] (Ref.) ML128.B45 F6
  • Brass Bibliography [1990] (Ref.) ML128.W5 F2
  • A Classified, Annotated Bibliography of Articles Related to Choral Music in Five Major Periodicals Through 1980 (Ref.) ML128.C48 C5
  • A Bibliography Of Computer Music [1981] (Ref.) ML128.E4 T55
  • Folk Music In America: A Reference Guide [1986] (Ref.) ML128.F74 M5
  • Guitar Bibliography [1984] (Ref.) ML128.G8 S4
  • Jazz: Reference and Research Materials [1981] (Ref.) ML128.J3 M4
  • The Musical: An International Annotated Bibliography [1986] (Ref.) ML128.M78 W56
  • Music Criticism: An Annotated Guide to the Literature [1979] (Ref.) ML113.D6
  • Music In American Higher Education: An Annotated Bibliography [1988] (Ref.) ML120.U5 B88
  • Opera: A Research and Information Guide [1984] (Ref.) ML128.O4 M37
  • Bibliographie der Orgel [1973] (Ref.) ML128.O6 R44
  • Percussion: An Annotated Bibliography [1988] (Ref.) ML128.P23 B34
  • Piano Information Guide: An Aid to Research [1989] (Ref.) ML128.P3 P24
  • Performance Practice, Medieval to Contemporary: A Bibliographic Guide [1988] (Ref.) ML128.P235 J3. Supplements in Performance Practice Review (ML1 .P10876), 1988-
  • The Literature of Rock, 1954-1978 (Ref.) ML128.R6 H6
  • Women in American Music [1979] (Ref.) ML128.W7 B6

For related topics, check in Reference in the area of the nearest related bibliography listed above, or check IUCAT under an appropriate subject heading (consult the staff if you need assistance).