Searching for Library Materials: Printed Music
From the UMU Libraries' Home Page, start with a basic search under "Library Search." UMU's library catalog is part of the OPAL library system. Results will show UMU's holdings. You can narrow your search by format or by adding additional keywords, such as "score."
Results from a keyword search include all formats (book, score, recording, video). Add search terms to narrow your results. The number you'll see is the call number, or location on the shelf in the Sturgeon Music Library.
Types of Printed or Notated Music
Printed music comes in many forms, with library terminology specific to each. The following guide will help you select the right materials for your needs: You can use these terms as keywords to specify the type of notated music you want.
Score is the general term for printed music within the library's catalog.
Vocal Score in the catalog indicates any sung music accompanied by a keyboard instrument. When a publisher uses this term for a musical theatre score, this means all songs from the musical are included, and all are in the original key. This term is used in classical music for both original compositions for voice and keyboards and for arrangements from an orchestral accompaniment (a.k.a. "piano reduction").
Vocal Selections is the designation for musical theatre publications that include only the most important songs from a musical, sometimes transposed for a higher or lower voice range. This is why the "Vocal Score" is preferred by most voice teachers.
Part or Parts in a catalog description indicates separate playing parts for each instrument. When there is a piano part plus one part for a soloist, the indication will be "Score and part."
Lead sheet is a reduction, usually for jazz performance, that includes only the melody line and text (if any) for only the first verse of a song. Chord symbols over the melodic line help players to improvise using notes from the scale being used within each measure or beat.
Fake book is a collection of lead sheets, bound together. A musician who can read a lead sheet can "fake" knowing the tune, so books that circulated amongst musicians used to be called "fake" books. The "Real Book" is an ironically titled fake book.