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Keyboard Instruments Guide

Catalogs

Call Numbers

Books and printed music are arranged according to the Library of Congress' Classification System. The library has circulating and non-circulating (reference) collections. Each collection is divided in to three sections.

  • M = Printed music/scores (organized by instrument/genre)
  • ML = Books about music and musicians
  • MT = Books on music theory, pedagogy, and technique

The Jones Music Library has distinct collections for music education and music therapy resources.  A complete description of the library's collections may be found here.

CD Sheet Music

CD Sheet Music provides access to public domain scores which have been scanned in PDF form.  Sheet music pages may be printed out or downloaded. The following collections related to keyboard instruments are accessible at the Jones Music Library Circulation Desk.

Searching the Library Catalog for Scores

To locate printed music for a specific instrumentation, you may use the subject search in the OPAL Catalog.   Each resource has been tagged with specific subject headings that describe its content.   For comprehensive repertoire lists for ensembles, see the Bibliographies & Repertoire Guides tab in this guide. 

Subject headings for printed music typically use the name of the instrument(s) followed by the word music (e.g. piano music, flute music).  Limit the search by the material type "music score."  To find duets for two distinct instruments, use the the following form:

  • Piano music
  • Organ and cello music

 

 

 

 

Music for two pianos or two pianists, may be found under the following subject headings.

Ensembles of more than two keyboard instruments, will typically be under the subect "piano" followed by the genre term (quintets, quartets) and instrumentation.  Ensemble music for organs may be found using "with" alongside the ensemble desired.

Important Call Numbers

The following table outlines important call numbers for solo and ensemble repertoire for keyboard instruments.

  Piano/Harpsichord Organ
Collections M 20-22 M 6-7
Sonatas M 23 M 8
Suites M 24 M 9
Other M 25-28 M 9-11
Pieces for Young/intermediate pianists M 30 n/a
Arrangements & transcriptions M 32.8-39 M 12-13
Four hands M 200-212 M 180-181*
Concertos M 1010-1011 M 1005-1006
Instruction & Study M 220-225 MT 180-192
History ML 650-747 ML 550-649

 

Classical Scores Online

There are a wide variety of public domain scores available on the Internet.   The Loeb Music Library at Harvard University provides a more comprehensive list of digital scores collections available on the web.    This is a list of more substantial collections.