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An introduction to the LCC system for music

Music call numbers in the Library of Congress Classification (LCC) system are subdivided by format.

Music literature is shelved under ML (note that we only have a few items, primarily librettos, in the music library under ML; most music literature is held in the main library and is shelved using the Dewey Decimal system). Music education items are shelved under MT. These items are located in the Music Education Room and include both books (e.g. teaching manuals) and scores (e.g. studies and methods). Scores are shelved under M in the main part of the music library.

LC Call Numbers by Instrument

Click on the instrument name to find a listing of LC call numbers by instrument
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Bassoon

Studies and methods(Bassoon family)
MT400-MT415

Bassoon music

Solo
M75 - M79
Bassoon and piano
M253 - M254 (including transcriptions)
Bassoon duets

M288 - M289
Bassoon and orchestra

M1026 - M1027


Clarinet

Studies and methods
MT380 - MT388

Clarinet music

Solo
M70 - M74
Clarinet and piano

M248 - M252
Clarinet duets

M288 - M289
Clarinet and orchestra

M1024 - M1025

Flute

Studies and methods
MT340 - MT348

Flute music

Solo
M60 - M64
Flute and piano

M240 - M242
Transcriptions

M243 - M244
Flute duets

M288 - M289
Flute and orchestra

M1020 - M1021

Guitar

Studies and methods
MT580 - MT588

Guitar music

Solo
M125 - M127
Transcriptions
M128 - M129
Guitar and piano

M276 - M277
Guitar duets

M292 - M293
Guitar and orchestra

M1037.4 .G8
Guitar and String orchestra

M1137.4 .G8

name="hor" id="hor">

Horn

Studies and methods (Horn family)
MT420 - MT432

Horn music

Solo
M80 - M84
Horn and piano

M255 - M259 (including transcriptions)
Horn duets

M288 - M289
Horn and orchestra

M1028 - M1029

name="obo" id="obo">

Oboe

Studies and methods (oboe family)
MT360 - MT379

Oboe music

Solo
M65 - M69
Oboe and piano

M245 - M246
Transcriptions

M245, M247
Oboe duets

M288 - M289
Oboe and orchestra

M1022 - M1023

name="pia" id="pia">

Piano

SCORES

SOLO

  • PIANO MUSIC
    M20 - M39
  • PIANO MUSIC
    M21 - M22 (collection)
  • SONATAS (PIANO)
    M23
  • SUITES (PIANO)
    M24
  • PIANO MUSIC
    M25 (individual pieces)
  • PIANO MUSIC (1 HAND)
    M26
  • VARIATIONS (PIANO)
    M27
  • MARCHES
    M28
  • DANCE MUSIC
    M30 - M32
  • PIANO MUSIC, ARRANGED
    M32 - M39

CHAMBER MUSIC SCORES

  • PIANO MUSIC (4 HANDS)
    M200 - M212
  • PIANO MUSIC (PIANOS (2))
    M214 - M216
  • PIANO + another instrument
    M217 - M285
  • FLUTE AND PIANO MUSIC
    M240 - M244
  • PIANO TRIOS
    M312 - M314
  • TRIOS (PIANO + 2 other instruments)
    M310 - M344
  • PIANO QUARTETS
    M412 - M414
  • QUARTETS (PIANO + 3 other instruments)
    M410 - M449
  • PIANO QUINTETS
    M512 - M514
  • QUINTETS (PIANO + 4 other instruments)
    M510 - M549
  • PIANO SEXTETS
    M612 - M614
  • SEXTETS (PIANO + 5 other instruments)
    M610 - M649
  • PIANO WITH ORCHESTRA
    M1010 - M1011
  • CONCERTOS (PIANO)
    M1010 - M1011
  • PIANO WITH STRING ORCHESTRA
    M1110 - M1111
  • CONCERTOS (PIANO WITH STRING ORCHESTRA)
    M1110 - M1111
  • PIANO - INSTRUCTION AND STUDY
    MT220 - MT224
  • PIANO - STUDIES AND EXERCISES
    MT225 - MT249
  • PIANO MUSIC - TEACHING PIECES
    MT243
  • MUSICAL ACCOMPANIMENT
    MT239
  • Methods for harpsichord other keyboard instruments
    MT250 - MT258

THEORETICAL BOOKS ABOUT THE PIANO and PIANO MUSIC
PIANO MUSIC - ANALYSIS, APPRECIATION

  • MT140, MT145

 

Saxophone

Studies and methods
MT500 - MT508

name="sax" id="sax">

Saxophone music

Solo
M105 - M107
Transcriptions

M108 - M109
Saxophone and piano

M268 - M269
Saxophone duets

M288 - M289
Saxophone and orchestra

M1034.S4 (cadenzas M1034.5.S4)
Solo with piano

M1034.S4
Saxophone and string orchestra (& solo with piano)
M1134.S4

Trumpet

Studies and methods
MT440 - MT448

name="tru" id="tru">

Trumpet music

Solo
M85 - M87
Transcriptions

M88 - M89
Trumpet and piano

M260 - M261
Trumpet duets

M288 - M289
Trumpet and orchestra

M1030 (cadenzas M1030.5)
solo with piano

M1031
Trumpet and string orchestra
M1130
Solo with piano

M1131

Viola

Studies and methods
MT280 - MT298

name="via" id="via">

Viola music

Solo
M45 - M47
Transcriptions

M48 - M49
Viola and piano

M224 - M226
Transcriptions

M227 - M228
Viola duets

M286 - M287
Viola and orchestra

M1014 (cadenzas M1014.5)
Solo with piano

M1015
Viola and string orchestra

M1114
Solo with piano

M1115

name="vin" id="vin">

Violin

Studies and methods
MT260 - MT279

Violin music

Solo
M40 - M42
Transcriptions

M43 - M44
Violin and piano

M217 - M221
Transcriptions

M222 - M223
Violin duets

M286 - M287
Violin and orchestra

M1012 (cadenzas M1012.5)
Solo with piano

M1013
Violin and string orchestra

M1112
Solo with piano

M1113

name="vio" id="vio">

Violoncello

Studies and methods
MT300 - MT318

Violoncello music

Solo
M50 - M52
Transcriptions

M53 - M54
Violoncello and piano

M229 - M233
Transcriptions

M235 - M236
Violoncello duets

M286 - M287
Violoncello and orchestra

M1016 (cadenzas M1016.5)
Solo with piano

M1017
Violinoncello and string orchestra
M1116
Solo with piano

M1117

Voice

Songs are generally classified by the instrumental accompaniment or as excerpts of larger dramatic works. Within each section, the scores are filed alphabetically by composer.

SCORES

    • VOCAL MUSIC SCORES
      M1495 – M1998
    • Miscellaneous collections
      M1495 – M1497
    • OPERAS
      M1500
    • OPERAS – VOCAL SCORES with piano
      M1503
    • OPERAS – EXCERPTS ... Arias with piano accomp.
      M1507 and M1508
    • VOCAL DUETS with orchestra
      M1528
    • VOCAL SCORES with piano
      M1529
    • VOCAL TRIOS with piano
      M1529
    • SONGS (HIGH VOICE) with orchestra or SONGS (MEDIUM VOICE) with orchestra or SONGS (LOW VOICE) with orchestra ... M1611, M1615 (collections) and M1613, M1617 (single songs)
    • VOCAL SCORES WITH PIANO
      M1612, M1616 (collections) and M1614, M1618 (single songs)
    • SONGS WITH INSTRUMENTAL ENSEMBLE
      M1613.3, M1621.3
    • VOCAL SCORES with piano
      M1614
    • SONGS (HIGH VOICE) with piano or SONGS (MEDIUM VOICE) with piano or SONGS (LOW VOICE) with piano ... M1619 -- M1620 (collections) and M1621 (single songs)
    • SONGS, UNACCOMPANIED
      M1621.2
    • SONGS (HIGH VOICE) WITH FLUTE
      M1623.8 (collections and M1624.7 (single songs))

 

      • FOLK-SONGS, [language]
        M1626- M1980
      • FOLK-SONGS -- UNITED STATES
        M1628 - M1677
      • FOLK-SONGS, ENGLISH -- CANADA or FOLK-SONGS, FRENCH -- Canada
        M1678 - M1679
      • FOLK-SONGS -- GREAT BRITAIN
        M1738 - M1739
      • SACRED VOCAL MUSIC
        M1999 - M5000
      • ORATORIOS
        M2000
      • ORATORIOS -- Vocal scores with piano
        M2003
      • ORATORIOS -- Excerpts
        M2004 (solos)
      • ORATORIOS -- Excerpts, Arranged
        M2005 - M2007
      • SACRED DUETS and SACRED TRIOS
        M2018 - M2019
      • SACRED SONGS with orchestra
        M2102, M2105 (collections) and M2103, M2107 (single songs)
      • Solo with piano
        M2104, M2106, M2108
      • SACRED SONGS (HIGH VOICE) with piano or SACRED SONGS (MEDIUM VOICE) with piano or SACRED SONGS (LOW VOICE) with piano
        M2110 - M2111 (collections) and M2113 - M2114 (single songs)
      • HYMNS
        M2115 - M2146

 

  • SINGING -- INSTRUCTION AND STUDY
    MT820 - MT893
  • SINGING -- METHODS and SIGHT-SINGING
    MT870

The basics of how LCC works

Scores are classified primarily according to medium of performance. Various subcategories are also used, including number of performers, genre, and form. For example, full scores of operas are shelved under M1500 while opera vocal scores are shelved under M1503. As someone looking for a score, consider if you need the full score or the vocal score—or perhaps either will do?

Remember that LCC relies primarily on medium of performance. The system does not always distinguish between ‘classical’ and ‘popular’ music. For example, you will find both opera and musical vocal scores shelved under M1503; however, you will find that art song and popular song are shelved under different call numbers. This can get tricky at times—remember that what you may consider an art song, LCC might consider a popular song!

Note that the LCC call number also gives you other information about the score. Most duos will have a call number in the M200s while quintets will be shelved under the M500s.

LCC often shelves original works and arrangements under different call numbers. You may need to check under both call numbers if you are not sure whether or not the score you are looking for is an arrangement.

Searching using the ‘Special Call Number’ feature

Using the ‘special call number’ feature found in the drop down menu on the front page of the library catalog, you can search and browse for scores using the call number. Note that there is a difference between the ‘call number’ search option and the ‘special call number’ search option. You need to use the ‘special call number’ option to search for LCC scores. The ‘call number’ option only searches items in Dewey.



A special call number search is not necessarily the most efficient choice of search strategy; however, after a while, you may find that you begin to remember the call numbers for the particular types of scores that you use most often. Once you reach this stage, a special call number search could be your most efficient choice, particularly if combined with a composer’s cutter (see
Finding Scores Using a Composer’s Cutter Number).

There are two important points to remember when using a special call number search.

1) If a special call number search shows that we do not have an item, we may still own it as part of a composer’s complete works edition (see Using Composers Complete Works Editions).

2) Sometimes a score may not be found under the call number its title suggests. For example, symphonies are found under M1001; however, Shostakovich’s Symphony 14 is found under M1528 because it is in the format of a vocal duet with orchestra.

A few examples of some useful LCC call numbers

M3 Composers complete works editions
M23 Piano sonatas
M312 Piano trios
M452 String quartets
M512 Piano quintets
M557 Woodwind quintets
M557.4 Brass quintets
M1001 Symphonies
M1002 Tone poems
M1003 Orchestral suites and variations

M1004 Overtures
M1500 Operas/Musicals—full scores
M1503 Operas/Musicals—vocal scores
M1507 Collections of opera/musical excerpts—vocal scores
M1520 Ballets
M1530 Secular cantatas/oratorios—full scores
M1533 Secular cantatas/oratorios—vocal scores
M1619 Art song collections
M1620 Art song collections by composer
M1621 Individual art songs
M1630.18 American popular song collections
M2000 Sacred oratorios—full scores
M2003 Sacred oratorios—vocal scores
M2010 Masses, including Requiems—full scores
M2020 Sacred cantatas—full scores
M2023 Sacred cantatas—vocal scores
M2072 Anthems
M2110 Sacred song collections
M2117 Hymn collectionsFurther information

If you would like more information on LCC call numbers specific to your instrument or musical score needs, contact the music librarian.

For an overview of the LCC system for music, click here.

The ‘Music Cataloguing at Yale’ website at Yale University provides greater detail on LCC call numbers. To access this information, click here.


 

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