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A Guide to Music: Reference Works

Browsing for Reference Works

Books, including those in Reference, are shelved in general subject categories using the Library of Congress classification system. You may want to supplement your use of the catalog with browsing shelf areas for your topic. Below is a brief listing of some of the subject locations in the field of Music.


  • M Music
    • 1-3 Collections and Monuments
    • 6-175.5 Solo instruments
    • 177-990 Two or more Solo Instruments (including non-orchestral chamber music.)
    • 1000-1366 Orchestral Music
    • 1497-1998 Secular Vocal Music
    • 1500-1527.8 Dramatic Music
    • 1530-1610 Choral Music
    • 1611-1998 Songs
    • 1627-1853 National and Folk Music
    • 1999-2199 Sacred Vocal Music
  • ML Literature of music
    • 48-54.8 Librettos
    • 110-155 Bibliography
    • 159-3799 History and Criticism
    • 459-1380 Insruments and Instrumental Music
    • 410 Biographies of Musical Figures
    • 1400-3275 Vocal Music
    • 1500-1554 Choral (sacred and secular)
    • 1600-2881 Secular vocal music
    • 2900-3275 Sacred vocal music
    • 3469-3541 Popular Music
    • 3800-3923 Philosophy and Physics of Music
  • MT Musical Instruction and Study
    • 40-67 Compostition
    • 70-86 Orchestration/Conducting
    • 90-146 Analytical Guides/Hermeneutics
    • 170-810 Instrumental Techniques
    • 820-949 Singing and Voice
    • 955-960 Music and Theatre/Opera

Recommended Reference Works

Use the drop down menu from the reference works tab above to find reference sources works related to Music.

The guide is not comprehensive, so stop by the reference desk to chat with a librarian about finding additional information.

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Dan Mollner

This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0