Articles are collected into journals, magazines, newspapers, and other types of "periodicals" that are produced on a regular basis, or "periodically." Most databases let you select or limit to scholarly or academic articles or publications, as well as dissertations, conference reports, etc.

Content from RILM, Met Opera on Demand, and some other music databases are not included in the "Find articles, books & more" search. This makes it important to use these specific databases! Look at the tutorial and search tips below, and other tabs above.

Encyclopedias are a collection of short articles that give background, biographical information, overviews of  historical periods with social context, terminology definitions, facts and statistics.

• use "quotation marks" around phrases, e.g., "women opera composers"
• truncate - shorten a word to its trunk or root to get alternate endings - with an asterisk * (shift 8), e.g., lgbt* finds lgbt, lgbtq, lgbtqia+
• apply Boolean connector AND to combine unlike ideas, e.g., opera AND women composers
• apply Boolean connector OR to connect synonyms, e.g., comic OR comique OR buffa

Put it all together:

• "women opera composers" in one box
• AND (comic OR comique OR buffa) in the next box
• use parentheses in single-box searching - when you don't have another set of boxes, e.g.,:
• "american opera composers" AND (comic OR comique OR buffa) AND lgbt*

Use the left or right menus to narrow your results, e.g., by language, date, subject, etc.

Databases have a citation (information about an article such as the title, author, name of the journal or magazine, volume and issue (which correspond to the date), date, and pages) and sometimes they will also contain an abstract, or summary, of the article.

Databases also often cite multiple types of resources - books, essays or chapters, government documents, etc.

Some databases will also have the complete item (called the full text): you should see a link to an HTML or PDF document. Or click on - this will check the other library databases for the full text of the article.

Call Numbers for Music scores

Call Numbers for scores beginning with the letter M will be found on the 3rd floor of the Mary Idema Pew (Allendale) Library.

• M3 Collected or Complete Works (scores)
• M134 Guides to the Complete Works by composer
• M5-1490 Instrumental Music (scores)
• M1495-5000< Vocal Music (scores)

Place requests for items to avoid having to enter the stacks and handle materials!

A more complete guide to Call Numbers is available from the Library of Congress. Yale provides a guide to the filing rules (the order of items on shelves).

To Find Scores (sheet music) at GVSU

Use the Library Search on any webpage.

Click on the Printed Music option in Material Type box below the search boxes. Or you could search the type of item such as score as a keyword

Use separate boxes for your composer, piece title, type of piece, or other keywords. When you put your composer's last name in the box, change the drop-down to "author" instead of any field. When searching for a type of piece, use the plural, e.g., "sonatas" or "concertos" (not concerti). You may use keywords like "piano sonatas op. 23."  You may also search for the instrument as a subject, e.g., piano.

One of the complications of searching for scores is the many ways publishers can cite the name of a piece. For example, a piano sonata could be called: "piano sonata", "sonata for piano", "sonata no. x for piano", "Klaviersonate", "Sonate fur Klavier", etc. Virtually all of these would have a "uniform title" of "Sonatas, piano ..." so using the plural of the type of piece followed by the instrument name is a good keyword phrase to use in searching.

Searching for Specific Items

In the Library search box, type names in reverse order (e.g., ellington duke). Click on Search.

Many scores are in the “Complete or Collected works” of a composer but are not listed in the Catalog. You may want to browse the shelves in the call number area of M3, and use the guides to the collected works in the call number area of ML134.

Miniature scores are at the beginning of the M's on the 3rd floor. Oversized scores are in the ASRS and must be requested through the catalog.

Call Numbers for Music recordings

CDs are on the 3rd floor of the Library before the M call number; LP (vinyl) records & DVDs are in the Automated Storage Retrieval System (click the blue Request button to retrieve them).

• M1-3 Collected or Complete Works
• M5-1490 Instrumental Music
• M1495-5000 Vocal Music
• ML General
• MT Teaching Music

To Find Recordings at GVSU

For LPs, from the Library's homepage, enter: gvsu lp collection and keywords such as jazz or “big band”

Or, go to Books, select Location = Mary Idema Pew – Audio, and put a/some keyword/s in the search box. This will bring back both CDs and LPs.

However, if you click "Audio music" under Material Type, you'll get all formats of music including streaming.

Use separate boxes for your composer, piece title, type of piece, or other keywords. When you put your composer's last name in the box, change the drop-down to "author" instead of keyword. When searching for a type of piece, use the plural, e.g., "sonatas" or "concertos" (not concerti). You may use phrases like "piano sonatas op. 23" with the quotation marks.

One of the complications of searching for music is the many ways publishers can cite the name of a piece. For example, a piano sonata could be called: "piano sonata", "sonata for piano", "sonata no. x for piano", "Klaviersonate", "Sonate fur Klavier", etc. Virtually all of these would have a "uniform title" of "Sonatas, piano ..." so using the plural of the type of piece followed by the instrument name is a good keyword phrase to use in searching.

Searching for Specific Items

• For popular music – search by PERFORMER or by TITLE: Click on Author (for performer) or on Title.
• Type performer's name (e.g., ellington duke). Click on Search.

Search for:

opera (change the drop-down from Select a Field to Subject)
AND more specific topics or a specific name

Call Numbers for CDs, scores, and books beginning with the letter M are on the 3rd floor of the Mary Idema Pew (Allendale) Library. 

• M    Scores (Mini- then full-size)
• ML  Books about music
• MT  Books about teaching music or more technical information about music