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Music FAQs

How do I find sheet music, scores, or recordings that I need in Hunt Library?
What if I cannot find the book, score, or recording I am looking for in Cameo?
What is the username/password for Grove Music Online? I'm trying to access it from home and it's not working.
What happened to Grove Music Online?
Where can I find something that has a location of MUS-FILE-4?
What if the item I need is not on the shelf?
Where can I find items on reserve for my music course(s)?
How can I find out what recordings you have?
Can I check out LPs?
Where can I find translations of songs and arias?
Can I check out a Reference book from the 4th floor (FA-REF-4)?
Where can I find the analysis for a piece I am working on?
Do you keep School of Music orchestra folders in the library? How can I find out what you have?
Who can check orchestra folders out and what is the process?
What is a good starting place for my music research topic?
Do you have a book that will give me the instrumentation and duration of orchestral works?

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How do I find sheet music, scores, or recordings that I need in Hunt Library?

You will need to search Cameo (Library catalog) to see what we have available. A Simple Search using keywords often works best. If you are looking for a particular song, performing a simple Word/Phrase search on the composer's name and one or two uniques word from the title of the song will sometimes (but not always) give you a manageable list of results (e.g. bach and genug). You can then limit the 'Itemtype' to SCORE, RECORDING (for LPs), or CD depending on your desired format.

If you begin your search by clicking on the 'Complex' search tab in Cameo, you may limit the 'Itemtype' from the beginning.

Search Tips:

If you're searching for a certain form of music (e.g. sonata, concerto, symphony), it is best to search the plural form of these words. One way to do this is to use the $ sign truncation feature in Cameo (e.g. sonata$, concert$, or symph$). You could also use the ? to substitute specific letters (e.g. mi?ro?osmos). Cameo is not case sensitive, and you do not need to include articles (a, an, the), diacritics, or punctuation in your searches as a general rule. More Cameo search tips

Music materials come in many languages. No two titles are exactly the same due to the number of publishers, editions, and arrangements. One way to bring together alternate spellings and variations in the title of a piece of music is through what is known as Uniform Titles. Let's say you want to find the score for Mozart's The Magic Flute. You could start by clicking on the Complex search tab in Cameo, then typing in magic flute in the Title box and limiting the Itemtype to SCORE. You should get around 7 results. If you click VIEW for the first item, you will notice from the third line in the record that the Uniform Title is [Zauberflöte]. Click on [Zauberflöte] and you will get around 9 results, two more than your original search in English.

Sample Word/Phrase Searches:

* beethoven and symph$ and arr  (will give you a list of arrangements of Beethoven's Symphonies)
* mozart and 551  (551 is the Köchel catalog number for Symphony No. 41, 'Jupiter')
* haydn and 77  (try combining the composer's name with the opus number of the piece)

As a general rule, it is a good idea to try more than one search. Don't forget to limit by Itemtype (BOOK, SCORE, RECORDING, or CD) if you know what format you need. This is done under the Complex search option. Sometimes less is more in Cameo, so don't feel you need to type all 10 words of a song title, just try one or two to start.

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What if I cannot find the book, score, or recording I am looking for in Cameo?

First, check with the librarian on duty at the Arts Reference Desk to see if they are able to find the item in Cameo. If no results are found, your next step would be to search Worldcat to see who in the area might have the item you need. Using Other Libraries FAQ

If no one in the area has the item you are looking for, you may want to use InterLibrary Loan or check with the liaison librarian for your school as to the possibility of ordering the item for our collection.

What is the username/password for Grove Music Online? I'm trying to access it from home and it's not working.

There is no unique username/password for Grove Music Online. In order to access any of the databases that the CMU Libraries subscribe to from off-campus you will need to utilize the WebVPN. This authentication software ensures that only those affiliated with CMU are able to access the databases.

1. Go to http://www.library.cmu.edu/Services/remote.html
2. Click on WebVPN, and log in with your Andrew ID/password
3. Click on "CMU Library"
4. Click on Databases by Name, A-Z
5. Click on G...then Grove Music Online or O for Oxford Music Online

What happened to Grove Music Online?

Grove Music Online is now part of Oxford Music Online.

Where can I find something that has a location of MUS-FILE-4?

We have some sheet music that is not bound that is stored in vertical files in the Music Listening Office on the 4th floor of Hunt Library. These tend to have the call number CLARINET, CHAMBER BRASS 8, DOUBLE BASS AND PIANO, FLUTE AND PIANO, OBOE, PIANO, VIOLIN, VOCAL, etc. You can ask the person on duty to retrieve the title(s) for you. Hours

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What if the item I need is not on the shelf?

If you do not see an item on the shelf, double check Cameo to make sure you wrote down the correct location and that the item is not checked out to someone else. If an item is checked out, you will see a due date.

Make sure you are looking in the correct location on the 4th floor. We have three main areas that you should be aware of:

FA-REF-4 (Reference area behind the Arts Reference Desk)
STACKS-4 (on the left side of the library once you exit the elevator or stairs)
OVRSZQ-4 (begins on the left side of the library, but continues over to the right side. Oversized music materials are on the right side of the library.)
*Also check carts around the floor that have books on them waiting to be shelved.

Ask the librarian on duty at the Arts Reference Desk. The librarian can double check the shelf and also check to see when the item last circulated. Sometimes items are downstairs at the Circulation desk waiting to be brought back up to the 4th floor if they were recently returned.

Where can I find items on reserve for my music course(s)?

Reserve items for music are can be found in Music Listening Office, 4th floor Hunt Library or at the Circulation Desk, 1st Floor Hunt Library. Check Cameo to see where the reserve items for your class are located. Hours

How can I find out what recordings you have?

You will need to search Cameo, the Library catalog, to see what we have available. It is probably best to begin by clicking on the 'Complex' search tab so you can limit the 'Itemtype' to CD (for CDs) or RECORDING (for LPs).

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Can I check out LPs?

LPs only circulate to Faculty, however students may take a look at what special services are available in the Music Listening Office.

Where can I find translations of songs and arias?

We have a book in the FA-REF-4 area called Word-by-Word Translations of Songs and Arias by Berton Coffin, Werner Singer, and Pierre Delattre. The call number is FA-REF-4 ML54.6 .W65, 2 vols. [Volume 1 - German and French. Volume 2 - Italian]

Can I check out a Reference book from the 4th floor (FA-REF-4)?

We do allow our reference books to circulate for 24 hours on a case by case basis. If the item is in demand for a class, then we will not check it out to you. If if is for personal research that no one else is working on at the moment, then we will generally allow the book to circulate. Ask the librarian on duty at the Arts Reference Desk to assist you since (s)he will need to fill out a special form for you to take down to the Circulation desk.

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Where can I find the analysis for a piece I am working on?

We have two books in the Reference area on the 4th floor that are good places to begin your research:

Diamond, Harold J. Music Analyses: An Annotated Guide to the Literature. New York: Schirmer Books, 1991.
Call number: FA-REF-4 ML128 .A7 D5 1991

Hoek, David J. Analyses of Nineteenth- and Twentieth-Century Music, 1940-2000. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow and Music Library Association, 2007. Call number: FA-REF-4 ML113 .H695 2007

Wenk, Arthur B. Analyses of Nineteenth- and Twentieth-Century Music, 1940-1985. Boston: Music Library Association, 1987.
Call number: FA-REF-4 ML113 .W45 1987

You could also perform a SUBJECT search for musical analysis in Cameo to see what other books we have available. One way to limit the results is by combining the composer's name with musical analysis. You might also try searching the term analys$ or analys?s to take into account analyses.

The Music Index Online, RILM Music Abstracts, and Worldcat are good databases to tap into for additional books, articles, and dissertations. As with any research, you will want to leave yourself enough time to utilize InterLibrary Loan if necessary.

Do you keep orchestra folders in the library? How can I find out what you have?

Yes, we do have School of Music orchestra folders in the Music Listening office. You can perform a 'Complex' search in Cameo to see what is available by limiting the 'Itemtype' to Orchestra Folders, Music Office and combining that with the composer's name and/or a couple of keywords from the title of the piece.

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Who can check orchestra folders out and what is the process?

The following is a Step-by-Step procedure/policy for Orchestra Folder borrowing:

REQUESTING/CHECKING-OUT OF FOLDERS
1. Only Music Faculty and/or authorized proxies can request orchestra folders. Once requested, it takes 24 hours to process. In this time, the Music Listening Office staff will check through the folder and record all missing parts on a check-out form, to ensure that the borrower is not responsible for previously missing parts.

2. The folder will be charged-out to your account, and will be ready to pick up the next day. At this time, the borrower (or proxy) will sign the check-out form, indicating knowledge of all borrowed parts.
*NOTE: THE BORROWER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL PARTS CIRCULATED IN THE FOLDER AT THE TIME OF CHECK-OUT.

RETURNING FOLDERS
1. Parts MUST be returned in the same order within the folder in which they are checked-out. The check-out form, included in each folder, lists the order and amount of each part. In addition, this form notes missing parts and conditions of the existing parts.

2. If there are any "new" missing parts, the folder WILL NOT BE discharged, since the borrower is responsible for all circulated parts. An email noting these missing parts will be sent to both the borrower and their proxy.
*NOTE: ORCHESTRA FOLDERS WILL REMAIN CHARGED UNTIL ALL NEWLY MISSING PARTS ARE EITHER RETURNED OR REPLACED. Failure to do so will result in BLOCKED accounts and the inability to borrow other library materials.

Any questions regarding borrowing policies can be directed to Andrew Perlman.

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What is a good starting place for my music research topic?

There are a couple of places you should look to begin your research. The first one I would suggest is The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 2nd ed. (FA-REF-4 ML100 .N48 2000) or Grove Music Online to see if there is an article written about your topic. The people writing these entries are experts in their fields and compile extensive bibliographies that you could consult for further study.

The next place you may want to look is in Music Reference and Research Materials: An Annotated Bibliography (FA-REF-4 ML113 .D83 1997) by Vincent H. Duckles. If you find some sources that look promising, your next step would be to see if our library or a library in the area has it. You would use Cameo or Worldcat to do this.

If you're researching a particular composer, then be sure to check Cameo to see if we have a bio-bibliography. For example, we have a book called Aaron Copland: A Guide to Research. You could try searching your composer's name and guide to research or you could try your composer's name and bibliography (e.g. copland guide to research ; copland and bibliography). These types of books lead you to other sources about the composer you're studying.

Do you need a mix of books and articles for your bibliography? Think about your topic and brainstorm several terms or concepts that you could try searching in Cameo to find books. If you find a book that looks really good, pay attention to the subject headings in the Cameo record. You can click on these headings within the record and get more results. Use The Music Index and RILM to find music related articles and dissertations pertaining to your topic. If your topic also includes psychological or historical aspects for example, then be sure to use other databases pertaining to those areas. Take a look at the Research Guides for other disciplines under Research Help on the CMU Libraries Home Page.

This is just a start. At any point, feel free to contact the music librarian who can help guide you through this process.

Do you have a book that will give me the instrumentation and duration of orchestral works?

Yes. Take a look at Orchestral Music: A Handbook, 4th ed. by David Daniels (FA-REF-4 ML128 .O5 D3 2005).