Library:How to Find Music Scores

The music print collection is organized by call number in the following manner:

M = scores, printed music

ML = books about music history and literature

MT = books about music theory, music education, and instruction and study (including many method books)

To search for scores in the UBC Catalogue, we recommend using Keyword (use AND, OR, NOT, or “a phrase”) under the Simple Search tab.

Combine keywords in your search, such as:

Composer’s name

Names from non-Roman languages are particularly challenging and may have many alternate spellings in English. For best results, enter names exactly as they are spelled in the catalogue.*

tchaikovsky instead of tschaikowsky mussorgsky instead of moussorgsky

Instrument

Musical Form

Musical forms are usually, but not always, listed in the plural. Use truncation to find both singular and plural, as well as forms in other languages.

symphon? finds symphonies and symphony sonat? finds sonata, sonatas, sonate, sonaten, sonatina, etc.

Word(s) in the title of a musical composition

pianga and handel not sound (for the aria, Lascia ch’io pianga from Handel’s Rinaldo)

Many works composed in non-English languages are listed under the original language.* Zauberflote instead of Magic Flute Johannespassion instead of St. John’s Passion

Opus or thematic catalogue number

551 and mozart not sound (for Mozart’s “Jupiter” Symphony)

Tips:

Add NOT sound to filter out sound recordings from your search results.
Add AND score to include only scores in your search results. (This is not 100% accurate because instrumental solos may not have the word “score” in their catalogue records.)
Add NOT sound NOT score when searching for books only.

There are many score types: full, miniature, study, piano-vocal, piano reduction, etc. If you need help with searching for a particular score type, please contact the Music, Art and Architecture Library Reference Desk at 2-3943.

To find out how a name is spelled in the catalogue, that is, its authorized form, use the Browse tab, Author (lastname, firstname).