SUBJECT HEADINGS FOR
MUSIC
Hermine Vermeij, UCLA
April 13, 2012
Scope



LCSH
Only headings used for music; not headings used for works
about music.
Subject Headings Manual (SHM)

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H1160 (Musical Compositions – Pattern Headings)
H 1916.3 (Music: General)
H 1916.5 (Music: Jazz and Popular Music)
H 1917 (Music of Ethnic, National, and Religious Groups)
H 1917.5 (Music Form/Genre Headings: Medium of Performance)
H 2075 (Songs and Music)
Scope


Most subject headings applied to music describe the
genre/form and/or medium of performance
(instrumentation/voices) of the work.
A project is underway to create genre/form terms
for music (to be coded 655) and medium of
performance terms (to be coded 382).
 But
implementation is still years away.
 For now, continue to use subject headings (650s) to
describe music.
Subject Authority Records

Always read authority records carefully—you will
find many treatment instructions there. Example:

Bass clarinet music (May Subd Geog)
Here are entered compositions not in a specific form or of a specific type for
solo bass clarinet, and collections of compositions in several forms or types for
solo bass clarinet.
The term "bass clarinet" is used as a medium of performance in headings for
works for one or two solo instruments. In headings for other works that include
bass clarinet, the generic term "clarinet" is used as the medium of performance.
SA headings for forms and types of music that include "bass clarinet", "bass
clarinets", "clarinet", or "clarinets", and headings with medium of performance
that include "bass clarinet", "bass clarinets", "clarinet", or "clarinets"
Musical Form, Genre, Type, Etc.




To be used when a work is in a specific form and that
form is found in LCSH.
Often the initial element of a subject heading
May be used alone or followed by various qualifiers.
Examples:
Cantatas, Sacred
 Sonatas
 Rock music
 Symphonies

Musical Form, Genre, Type, Etc.

Some form headings cannot be qualified by
medium of performance—check scope notes.
 In
these cases, assign a second heading for medium of
performance.
 Examples:
 650
#0 $a Toccatas.
650 #0 $a Organ music.
 650 #0 $a Tarantellas.
650 #0 $a Band music.
Medium of Performance - Overview


The instrumental, vocal, and other performers required
to play a musical work
Can appear as the heading itself. Examples:
Piano music
 String orchestra music


Can appear in a parenthetical qualifier. Examples:
Sonatas (Violin and piano)
 Songs (High voice) with piano


Sometimes implied by a musical form heading
Symphonies, Overtures, etc. – Orchestra is implied.
 Chorale preludes – Organ is implied.

Medium of Performance – Order of
solo instruments

Not all music subject headings are established (since there
are so many combinations of instruments).


A cataloger must use the instructions in the SHM to formulate
some headings.
For groups of up to 9 solo instruments, assign the names of
the instruments in the following order:







Keyboard instruments
Wind instruments
Plucked or hammered stringed instruments without a keyboard
Percussion, electronic, and other instruments
Bowed string instruments
Unspecified instruments
Continuo
Medium of Performance – Order of
solo instruments

Within each category, give the instruments in
alphabetical order.
 Except
bowed string instruments, which should go in
score order (high to low).

Examples:
 Flute
and violin music
 Suites (Flute, harp, vibraphone, violoncello)
 Nonets (Bassoon, clarinet, flute, horn, oboe, violin, viola,
violoncello, double bass)
Medium of performance – Order of
solo instruments

For Western music, if one of the instruments is
chordal (usually a keyboard instrument), or if one
serves as accompaniment to the other, give the
chordal or accompanying instrument second.
 Examples:
 Trombone
and piano music
 Sonatas (Flute and harpsichord)
Medium of Performance – Number of
solo instruments

When there are two or more different parts for the
same instrument, specify the number of instruments.
 Example:
 Concertos
(Flutes (3), harp)
 String quintets (Violins (3), viola, violoncello)

Do not specify the number of percussion or
electronics players.
Standard Chamber Combinations

Some standard chamber combinations have designated subject
headings, which should be assigned when a specific form
heading is not appropriate:






Piano trios
Piano quartets
Piano quintets
String trios
String quartets
These can also be used as qualifiers. Example:

Rondos (Piano trio)
Non-Standard Chamber Combinations

For combinations of three to nine instruments not covered by
the standard combinations:

If the work is of a specific type, use the heading for that type qualified
by the instruments. Example:


If the work is not of a specific type, use “Trios,” “Quartets,” etc. qualified
by the instruments. Example:


Suites (Flute, horns (2), violin)
Sextets (Bassoon, flute, oboe, trumpet, violin, viola)
If all instruments are from the same family (e.g. brass), insert the
instrument family name before the term for the number of instruments
(e.g. “Brass trios”). Example:

Woodwind sextets (Oboes (6))
Medium of Performance – Instrumental
ensembles


For groups larger than nine instruments, describe the
medium of performance as an ensemble.
Large ensembles – More than one player to a part

Examples:



Orchestra
Clarinet choir
Ensembles with one player to a part

Examples:


Brass ensembles
Clarinet ensembles
Medium of Performance – Instrumental
ensembles

Typically, the word “ensemble” stands for 10 or
more solo instruments of that type.
 Certain
exceptions stand for 3 or more solo instruments
of that type (check the authority record).

But, when 2 or more instruments serve as
accompaniment, they can be called an ensemble.
 Example:
(Medium voice) with instrumental ensemble 
accompanying ensemble is a flute and piano.
 Songs

YES, THIS IS CONFUSING.
Medium of Performance – “and” and
“with”

The connector “and” is used to connect two solo
instruments.
 Examples:
 Flute
and violin music
 Suites (Clarinet and horn)

The connector “with” is used for accompanying
instruments or ensembles.
 Examples:
 Concertos
(Piano with string orchestra)
 Flute with band
Medium of Performance – “Arranged”

The qualifier “Arranged” is free-floating with
form/genre headings for arranged music.
The heading is for the arranged instrumentation, not the
original.
 Generally not used with headings in which medium of
performance is not given (with exceptions, including large
instrumental forms such as Motion picture music).
 Exceptions: not to be used with most vocal and choral forms.
 Examples:



Piano music, Arranged
Quartets (Flute, violin, viola, violoncello), Arranged.
Medium of Performance – Solo vocal
works

Some headings imply voice, such as Songs, Sacred
cantatas, and Vocal trios.
 When
there is one solo voice, a qualifier indicating
vocal range (high, medium, or low) is added in
parentheses.
 Do not give vocal range for headings for two through
nine solo voices.
 Examples:
 Sacred
songs (Low voice)
 Vocal duets with continuo
Medium of Performance - Chorus

Sometimes performance by a chorus is implied in the
heading.

Type of voices (Women’s voices, Mixed voices, etc.) added in a
parenthetical qualifier.


Number of choral parts (if 8 or fewer) follows the qualifier for
type of chorus.



Except when mixed voices is assumed (Cantatas, Masses, and
Requiems)
But only if unaccompanied or accompanied by continuo, a solo
instrument, or a keyboard instrument.
THIS IS ALSO VERY CONFUSING.
Examples:


Choruses, Sacred (Equal voices, 3 parts)
Choruses, Secular (Mixed voices, 4 parts) with piano
Medium of Performance –
“Unaccompanied”

When vocal music is unaccompanied, use the freefloating qualifier “Unaccomapnied” as the final
element.
 Examples:
 Masses,
Unaccompanied
 Songs (Medium voice), Unaccompanied
Music for Occasions

Many headings exist for occasions such as religious
seasons, holidays, and festivals. Apply when
appropriate.
 Examples:
 Wedding
music
 Christmas music
 Memorial music
Music about a topic



Although most music subject headings would be more
accurately described as genre/form, some music does
have a true subject.
$v Songs and music – Form subdivision for music
about a topic or person
$v Drama – Form subdivision for a staged dramatic
work about a topic or person.

Examples:


650 #0 $a Cats $v Drama.
600 10 $a Cheng, Long, $d 1954- $v Songs and music.
Certain Liturgical Texts


Some headings exist for certain liturgical texts,
including psalms.
Examples:
 650
#0 $a Ave Maria (Music)
 650 #0 $a Psalms (Music) $v 150th Psalm
 650 #0 $a Te Deum laudamus (Music)
Geographic Subdivisions


Use geographic subdivisions only in collections of
musical works by different composers, and only
when geographic focus is stated or implied.
This is different from the way jazz and popular
music are treated.
Chronological Subdivisions

Use chronological subdivisions only in collections of musical
works, and only when chronological focus is stated or implied.






$y To 500
$y 500-1400
$y 15th century
$y 16th century
… etc.
Do not use these subdivisions for jazz and popular music, folk
or non-Western music, or following certain form subdivisions.
Jazz and Popular Music

Jazz
 Usually
assign the subject heading “Jazz” with
appropriate chronological or geographic subdivisions.
 Jazz for a solo instrument – Assign headings of the type
“Piano music (Jazz).”
 “Jazz ensemble” is available for music for solo
instruments accompanied by a jazz ensemble.
 Assign other specific headings for particular styles of
jazz.
 Assign “Jazz vocals” to songs performed in jazz style.
Jazz and Popular Music

Popular music
 “Popular
music” – items consisting entirely of vocal
music or of both vocal and instrumental popular music,
when no more specific heading is appropriate.
 “Popular instrumental music” – items consisting entirely
of instrumental popular music, when no more specific
heading is appropriate.
 Good sources for determining genre of popular music:
 AllMusic
 Wikipedia
Jazz and Popular Music – Geographic and
chronological subdivisions

Apply geographic and chronological subdivisions to
all items if appropriate.


Some popular music styles and genres that originated
in the United States are not subdivided by $z United
States.


This is different from the way Western art music is treated.
Examples: Blues (Music), Country music, Rap (Music)
Generally, only subdivide by Anglo-American
countries if the country is emphasized specifically.
Jazz and Popular Music – Geographic and
chronological subdivisions

Some headings have special chronological
subdivisions established (mainly by decade).

These can only be used when already established in LCSH.
They are:







Bluegrass music
Blues (Music)
Country music
Jazz
Popular instrumental music
Popular music
Rock music
Jazz and Popular Music – Geographic and
chronological subdivisions
 Apply
these chronological subdivisions on the basis of
when the music was popular, or, if that is not known, by
date of composition, publication, or recording.
 Do not use more than two.
 If you are using a more specific heading that is not
subdivided chronologically, assign an additional
heading.
 Example:


650 #0 $a Progressive rock music.
650 #0 $a Rock music $y 1971-1980.
Music of Ethnic, National, and Religious
Groups

Generally, assign a combination of headings from
the following categories:
 650
#0 $a [ethnic or national group] $z [place] $v
Music.
 650 #0 $a [heading(s) for music of individual religious
group(s)] $z [place].
 650 #0 $a [heading(s) for musical genre, type, or style,
for ballads and songs, or for songs implying national
emphasis].
 650 #0 $a [heading(s) qualified by language of text].
Music of Ethnic, National, and Religious
Groups

Ethnic or national groups
Use the form subdivision $v Music with ethnic and national
groups.
 Do not assign headings of this type to a nationality within its
own country.
 Do not assign headings of this type to works by African
Americans unless it reflects explicit information on the
resource.
 Examples:



650 #0 $a Kabre (African people) $v Music.
650 #0 $a Germans $z Hungary $v Music.
Music of Ethnic, National, and Religious
Groups

Usually assign one of these terms with a geographic
subdivision:







Music
Folk music
Popular music
Dance music
Folk dance music
Patriotic music
For cultures where art music, popular music, and folk music are
not differentiated, use the general term “Music.”
Music of Ethnic, National, and Religious
Groups

Qualification by language of text
 If
the work is composed primarily of ballads, folk
songs, children’s songs, or songs, assign up to two
headings qualified by the original language of the text
or language group (if three or more languages).
 The qualifier is for the language; not the country of
origin.
 Examples:
 Folk
songs, Swedish
 Ballads, Slavic
Musical Presentation and Form
Subdivisions


The free-floating subdivisions can be assigned to
collections and individual musical works.
Written or printed format of music subdivisions
 Examples
 $v
(most common):
Parts
 $v Scores
 $v Scores and parts
 $v Solo with piano
 $v Vocal scores with piano
Musical Presentation and Form
Subdivisions
 NOT
used with headings for music for occasions, many
vocal forms, or headings already subdivided by $v
Hymns, $v Music, $v Musical settings, or $v Songs and
music.
 Reminder: $v Scores is only appropriate with music in
score form; i.e. several staves in vertical alignment. Do
not use $v Scores with headings for solo instrumental
music.
 Generally do not use $v Scores or $v Vocal scores with
popular music headings.
Musical Presentation and Form
Subdivisions

Other subdivisions
 Common
 $v
examples:
Cadenzas
 $v Excerpts
 $v Excerpts, Arranged
 $v Juvenile
 $v Simplified editions
Methods and Exercises

For methods and exercises, use one of the following
subdivisions after the term for the instrument (most
common):
$v Methods
 $v Methods (Alternative rock) [… etc.]
 $v Orchestral excerpts
 $v Studies and exercises
 $v Studies and exercises (Alternative rock) [… etc.]


Example:

650 #0 $a Flute $v Studies and exercises.
Compilations


When feasible, attempt to provide subject access to
each work in a compilation or on a sound recording.
Rule of thumb: if a work is represented by an
access point in a record, it should be represented
by a subject heading as well.
Questions?