Library Guides: Finding Music Scores: How our collections are organised

Music Scores at Southbank Library

The Southbank Library is located at Southbank campus.

Requests to have scores sent to other campuses can be done via the catalogue or by contacting our staff. All information required to locate material is indicated on the catalogue record for each item.

Music, including Music Theatre, Brass and Percussion, are classified according to the systems outlined below.
Collected Editions are classified using the British Music Cataloguing classification system, and have a Dewey Decimal run.
Real/Fake Books are allocated RB numbers (eg Australian Jazz Real Book is RB 73) and shelved together in the High Use Room on ground floor.

Music Classification System

Scores at the Southbank Library are arranged by category according to instrument or form of composition, as shown in the table below. Within each category, scores are arranged alphabetically by composer name.

For example: A M939 SONS.1

A = Piano 2 hands
M939 = Mozart
SONS.1 = Sonatinas for piano, copy 1

Note that many sections also include albums of collected works. Album call numbers display in the format A BAC.1 and are located after the scores for individual composers.


A - Piano - 2 hands	HA - Flute / Piccolo	MC - Voice with Instrumental Acc	TA - Choral Unison
B - Piano - 4 hands	HB - Oboe / Cor Anglais	MD - Vocalise / Exercises	TB - Choral - Female
C - Two Pianos - 4 hands	HC - Clarinet	ME - Vocal Recitatives	TC - Choral - Male
D - Harpsichord	HCA - Saxophone	MF - Vocal AMEB	TD - Choral Mixed
E - Violin	HD - Bassoon	MK - Vocal Duets	TE - Madrigal Albums
F - Viola	HK - Harp	ML - Popular Song	TH - Madrigals
FA - Viols and Viola da gamba	HL - Recorder	N - Organ	TJ - Sacred - Hymn Books
G - 'Cello	HM - Original Wind	NB - Organ Tests	TK - Sacred - Anthems
GE - Double Bass	HN - Handbells / Carrilon	P - Miniature Scores	TL - Sacred - Motets
GF - Duos, Duets (excluding Guitar)	HP - Accordion	PM - Miniature Albums	TM - Parts of Service
GG - Guitar	J - Trios	PN - Norton Critical Scores	TN - Sacred Songs
GGA - Guitar Albums	K - Quartets	Q - Full Scores	TP - Carols
GGB - Duos with Guitar	L - Quintets etc	R - Opera Vocal Scores	X+ - Folio-size Scores
GGC - Guitars (3 or more)	M - Voice and Piano	RM - Music Theatre	Z+ - Elementary Teaching
GGL - Lute	MA - Vocal Albums	S - Choral Vocal Scores	BB - Brass Box (see below for details)
GGM - Mandolin	MB - Folk / National Songs	T - Choral Albums	PB - Percussion Box (see below for details)
GH - Koto

Brass and Percussion Music

Please see below for the arrangement of brass and percussion scores.

Brass Music Scores are located at H in the classification scheme. Within this, more detailed genres use a BB #. View the chart below for brass instruments - ranging from solos to ensemble.

H BB1	Brass trios (Including brass trios plus piano, and brass duets plus keyboard) A –Z	H BB24	Bass trombone
H BB2	Brass Quartets A-Z	H BB25	Trombone & other instruments
H BB3	Brass Quintets A-Z	H BB26	Horn & piano A-Z
H BB4	Brass quintets with other instruments A-Z	H BB27	Horn - studies and exercises
H BB5	Brass quintets with percussion A-Z	H BB28	Horn - orchestral excerpts
H BB6	Brass sextets A-Z	H BB29	Horn & other instruments
H BB7	Brass septets A-Z	H BB30	Horn Ensembles A-Z
H BB8	Brass octets A-Z	H BB31	Horn alone, 2 horns
H BB9	Brass nonets A-Z	H BB32	Tuba ensembles
H BB10	Trumpet & piano A-Z	H BB33	Tuba with other instruments
H BB11	Trumpet albums A-Z	H BB34	Tuba - studies & exercises
H BB12	Trumpet & tape or percussion (without/without other instruments)	H BB35	Tuba - orchestral excerpts
H BB13	Trumpet - studies & exercises	H BB36	Tuba & piano + tuba alone; Euphonium solo or with piano
H BB14	Trumpet & other instruments	H BB37	Tuba & tape
H BB15	Trumpet & organ	H BB38	Brass ensembles, brass band A-Z
H BB16	Trumpet - orchestral excerpts	Oversized scores
H BB17	Trumpet ensembles	XH BB39	Oversize general
H BB18	Trumpet alone	XH BB40	Trumpet
H BB19	Trombone & piano A-Z	XH_BB41	Trombone
H BB20	Trombone - studies & exercises	XH BB42	Horn
H BB21	Trombone - orchestral exerpts	XH BB43	Tuba
H BB22	Trombone ensembes
H BB23	Trombone alone

Percussion Music Scores are located at PB in the classification scheme. The collection is then detailed in groups by number according to instrument types and genres.

PB.1	Snare Drum - Studies & Methods	PB.19	Latin-American Music
PB.2-3	Snare Drum - Solos	PB.20	Orchestral Percussion
PB.4	Snare Drum - Duets	PB.22	Orchestral Excerpts
PB.5	Drum Set - Tutors	PB.24	Reference Books
PB.6	Drum Set - Solos	PB.25	Works Featuring Percussion
PB.8	Timpani - Tutors	PB.28	2 Percussion and others as listed
PB.10	Timpani - Solos	PB.30	3 Percussion and others as listed
PB.11	Mallet - Methods	PB.40	4 Percussion and others as listed
PB.12	Mallet - Solos	PB.50	5 Percussion and others as listed
PB.13	Mallet - Solos Accompanied	PB.60	6 Percussion and others as listed
PB.14	Mallet - Duets	PB.70	7 Percussion and others as listed
PB.15	Multi-percussion - Studies etc	PB.80	8 Percussion and others as listed
PB.16	Multi-percussion - Solos Unaccompanied	PB.90	9 Percussion and others as listed
PB.17	Multi-percussion - Solos Accompanied	PB.100	10 Percussion and others as listed
PB.18	Latin-American - Method	PB.200 A PB.200 B PB.200 C	Oversize - Solos and Duos Oversize - Novelty Music Oversize - Ensembles

Special Collections and Rare Music

The Southbank Library has a range of Special Collections. To access these, check the catalogue, note the call number and request at the service desk or request via email. These collections are for consulting in the library only. Click on the highlighted sections below for more information.

Special Collections at the Southbank Library are extensive, and include theses, research papers and other collections.
The Rare Music Collection is located at the Baillieu Library (Parkville). They comprises music manuscripts, printed scores, books, archival collections and other rare music-related materials.