LibGuides: Music: Background Information


Library Research Guides

Major Music Reference Sources Online

Oxford Music Online This link opens in a new window
Includes Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians and the Encyclopedia of Popular Music: the major reference work for classical Western music. Very often the best place to start research in Music.
Oxford Bibliographies Online: Music This link opens in a new window
Oxford Bibliographies Online give an overview of a topic, then an annotated bibliography of works on that topic. A great guide to use when starting your research or doing topic exploration. The music collection includes entries on composers, genres, and forms.
Oxford History of Western Music This link opens in a new window
Full text of 5 volume narrative history of western classical music.
Garland Encyclopedia of World Music This link opens in a new window
Comprehensive online resource devoted to music research of all the world's peoples.

Cambridge Companions to Music
In depth reference works on specific musical subjects. Access through Discover.

Multi-disciplinary Reference Sources Online

Oxford Reference Online This link opens in a new window
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Dictionaries, language reference, and subject encyclopedias published by Oxford University Press.
Gale Virtual Reference Library This link opens in a new window
eReference titles cover a wide variety of full-text interdisciplinary content in many subject areas.

Background Information In The Library Catalog

Search by background information in the library catalog.

You can search Discover to find many more reference sources such as specialized encyclopedias. Perform a keyword search for your topic and add one of the following words: encyclopedia, dictionary, handbook, guide.