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Finding Music Scores

Guide to finding music scores at the Louise Hanson-Dyer Music Collection, located at the Southbank Library.

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.

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