To get started, try a keyword search in OASys. Keyword searching is less specific than searching Library of Congress subject headings, but may provide more results. Need more? Click over to LINK+ and continue your searching there. Need even more? WorldCat includes over 54 million entries from more than 45,000 libraries. You may also place Interlibrary Loan requests. (Slower than LINK+). Below are a few sample keyword searches for you to start with. Be creative, come up with your own, and use keywords from the works you find to improve your future searches.

Suggested Keyword Searches:

keyword: Mus* and Afr*

keyword: twelve tone

keyword: Messiaen

keyword: blues

keyword: Mexico and music

keyword: counterpoint and music

keyword: rock and women

keyword: baroque and (composition or theory)

keyword: history and German* and music

keyword: composer* and biography

For more assistance with searching for books, please see Finding Books.

back to top

Library of Congress Subject Heading Searching on OASys and LINK+

LC Subject Headings are classifications agreed upon by all US libraries and be an invaluable tool when you are searching for information. While keyword searches may bring up more titles, LC Subject searching can bring up more accurate lists of works specifically related to your field of study. Need more? Click over to LINK+ and continue your searching there. Need even more? WorldCat includes over 54 million entries from more than 45,000 libraries. You may also place Interlibrary Loan requests. (Slower than LINK+)

Suggested Subject Headings searches:
 

LC Subject: Jazz -- 1951-1960

LC Subject: Mahler, Gustav, 1860-1911

LC Subject: African Americans -- Music

LC Subject: Composition (Music)

LC Subject: Music -- 19th century -- History and criticism

LC Subject: Ethnomusicology

LC Subject: Improvisation (Music)

LC Subject: Rap (Music) -- History and criticism

back to top

Music Index (EBSCO)
Broad range of indexed subjects covering musicological or organological topics, plus book reviews, record reviews, first performances, and obituaries. Find citations, abstracts, and substantial full-text for international, English-language periodicals.

RILM Abstracts of Music Literature (FirstSearch)  
Index to scholarly international sources on music an related subjects; includes articles, books, bibliographies, catalogs, dissertations, and more

Naxos Music Library  
Naxos is a leading classical music label. The database offers access to over 75,000 tracks of classical, jazz, folk, and world music online. Maximum of two users at anyone time. Please limit your use to academic purposes.

ProQuest Online Information Service
A common interface to databases marketed by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. Oxy's set of ProQuest databases includes ProQuest General Reference, ProQuest Religious Periodicals, National Newspapers, and ProQuest Historical Newspapers. Except for Historical Newspapers, these databases can be searched simultaneously. Together they form a convenient general article database offering ample links to complete online articles.

For more assistance with searching our databases, please see Finding Articles.

back to top

Reference

websites

Solomon's Glossary of Technical Music Terms

American Heritage Dictionary

Oxford English Dictionary: OED online

Oxford Reference Online

Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary

Dictionary.com

reference books

Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians

Clapp Library Reference  ML100 .N48

The New Grove Dictionary of Musical Instruments

Clapp Library Reference  ML102.J3 N48 2001

The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz

Clapp Library Reference  ML100 .N48

The New Grove Dictionary of Opera

Clapp Library Reference  ML102.06 N5 1992

World Music: The Rough Guide

Clapp Library Reference  ML102.06 N5 1992

back to top

Style Manuals

For a comprehensive list of style manuals, please browse the Library Style Manual Webpage.

Modern Language Association (MLA) Format

American Psychological Association (APA) Format

American Anthropological Association (AAA) Format

Chicago (Turabian) Style Format

Occidental College Online Writing Center
This elaborate writing guide will help you formulate paper topics, construct theses, create outlines and cite sources as part of paper drafting.

back to top

Tired of Googling? try a different search engine or a subject directory found on our Public Internet Search Tools page.

For example, go to the Librarian's Index to the Internet, and try these searches: 

Jazz                  Baroque music              ethnomusicology

Below are just a few of the webpages discussing music in its various forms.

Classical Music

A helpful directory of research resources.

All About Jazz

Jazz reviews, articles, concert listings and more.

Smithsonian Folkways Recordings

The folkways series has documented amazing music from all parts of globe. Their website contains information about these recordings, as well as related research.     

Music Search

A search engine geared specifically toward music. 

Public Domain Music

A guide to help you identify what is in the public domain and avoid problems with copyright law.

AMG Allmusic 

Allmusic has a tremendous amount of information on artists and music of every conceivable genre.  Biographies, discographies, and reviews can be found for both notable and obscure artists and groups in classical, jazz, rock, pop, rap, hip-hop, folk, world music, or any other genre.

Music Library Website Directory 

Our music librarian, Annette Pedrosian, has put together a list of helpful music websites.

For more assistance with searching for web sites, please see Finding Public Web Pages.

back to top

Selected Books

Jazz Music

The Jazz Life

Black Music

Jazz in the sixties: the expansion of musical resources and techniques

Composition (Music)

Bach and the Patterns of Invention

Basic Atonal Theory

Learning to Compose: modes, materials, and models of musical invention

Ethnomusicology

Comparative Musicology and Anthropology of Music

Worlds of Music: an introduction to the music of the world's peoples

Music as Culture

back to top