LibGuides: Music Library Resources: Scores

Interlibrary Loan

Interlibrary Loan:
If we don't have the score you're looking for, you can try Interlibrary Loan. This allows you to borrow items from other libraries if they are not available here

Free Online Sheet Music

IMSLP/Petrucci Music Library
Contains PDFs of public domain music, as well as music from composers who are willing to freely share their work with the world.
ChoralWiki
A database of 8,800 choral scores, mostly in the public domain.
Sibley Music Library: Music scores
Similar to IMSLP, this project is made possible by Sibley Music Library and NEH funding. The digital collection contains almost 12,000 publications, including, scores, books, and a variety of handbooks, guides, and theses.
Public Domain Music
Continas MIDI files and text files, created by Benjamin Robert Tubb, based on original sheet music sources of the 19th century.

Finding Scores in the Library

From Gumberg Library's homepage, type in your search (e.g., choral music) and click on the Search button:

On the left side of the Search Results page, scroll down to "Limit by Source Type", click on Show More, and select Music Scores. Then click the Update button:

Tips for Finding Scores

Use opus or thematic catalog numbers (like BWV 232 and K.551) to narrow your search.

When looking for compositions with a generic title (sonata, symphony, concerto, trio, etc.), you can truncate your search or add a wildcard character.

Truncation: Shortening a search word and adding * or ? at the end will allow PacifiCat to retrieve singular, plural, and variant spellings. For example, Sonat* will retrieve sonata, sonatas, sonatina, Sonaten, etc.
Wildcards (or, how do you spell “Tchaikovsky” again?) An asterisk * or ? can replace any number of letters at the beginning, middle, or end of a word. For example, tch?sky andsymph? 4 will retrieve Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No.4.
Combined (Boolean) Searching with AND and OR: Combine words using ANDand OR. AND will narrow your search while OR will broaden it.

- Rodgers AND Hammerstein will retrieve records with both names
- Rodgers OR Hammerstein will retrieve records with either one or both names

Music Librarian

Terra Merkey

she/her

Email Me

Contact:

402 Gumberg Library
Duquesne University
600 Forbes Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15282

412-396-1542

Subjects: Music

Ask a Librarian

Email, text, telephone or meet with a Reference Librarian.

Purchasing Scores

Schubertline
A collection of lieder, songs, and arias which may be viewed, played, and printed in any key. Most printed scores cost about $2.00 or you can buy a subscription for unlimited access.
Sheet Music Plus
Claims to contain the world's largest selection of sheet music.
JW Pepper
One the world's premiere sheet music supplier since 1876.
Luck's Music Library
A great source for orchestral sheet music.

Music Library Resources: Scores

scores