MUSC 801 - Music Bibliography and Research: Finding Books and Scores

Search the KU Libraries catalog for printed music at KU. Make sure to click on "Advanced Search" and set search limits to "Music Score (printed)" to most effectively find what you need. All scores are located in the Music and Dance Library.

Video tutorial on using the library catalog

Search WorldCat for scores in other libraries.

Video tutorial on how to request items through interlibrary loan.

A virtual library created, based on the wiki principle, to gather public domain music scores as well as music scores of contemporary composers who wish to grant free access to their works. IMSLP provides access to a large array of public domain music scores. Over 6,500 composers are represented, and multiple editions, arrangements, and parts are available for some works. For most scores, the publication information is noted; however, some scores do not indicate the publisher and some have been re-set in programs like Finale or Sibelius. For public domain music editions, check here first.

Contains digital versions of works scanned from the libraries of the more than sixty partner institutions. Use the advanced catalog search to limit results by format.

Growing collection of public domain scores from the collections of the Sibley Music Library, Eastman School of Music, University of Rochester.

Contains tens of thousands of images of sheet music from collections throughout the United States. Browsable by title, and searchable by composer, subject, publisher, and date. A project of "a group of libraries working toward the goal of building an open collection of digitized sheet music." Hosted by the University of California, Los Angeles.

Contains over 29,000 pieces of American popular music dating from 1780 through 1980. A strength of the collection is its documentation of 19th-century America through popular music.

Contains over 62,000 pieces of sheet music registered for copyright during the periods of 1820-1860 and 1870-1885. Includes popular songs, operatic arias, piano music, sacred and secular choral music, solo instrumental music, method books and instructional materials, and music for band and orchestra.

Contains approximately 150,000 pieces of sheet music spanning from 1800 onward.

Contains over 660 titles published in Kansas City between 1874 and 1966.

This guide highlights e-book resources available through the KU Libraries and provides tips on how to search for e-books.

Cambridge Companions to Music provide clear and accessible information on composers, instruments or musical topics. Each volume provides a carefully structured series of specially-commissioned essays by leading authorities offering comprehensive coverage and indispensable reference material.

Detailed guide showing a breakdown of call numbers:
M = scores and other printed music
ML = books about music
MT = music instruction and study