Music theory
Liaison Librarian
Legend
- McGill users only
- Open access resource
- Free resource
- In-library-use only
- Catalogue record
Sources for background information
Encyclopedias | Bibliographies
Encyclopedias
There are no encyclopedias or dictionaries dedicated solely to music theory. The two major Western classical music encyclopedias, however, have several pertinent articles.
See such articles as "Theory, theorists" and "Analysis."
Bibliographies
Form and Analysis Theory: A Bibliography
REF ML128 T5 P45 1998
Harmony Theory: A Bibliography
REF ML128 T5 P47 1997
Music Analyses: An Annotated Guide to the Literature
REF ML128 A7 D5 1991
Music Theory from Boethius to Zarlino
REF ML128 T5 B35 2007
Music Theory from Zarlino to Schenker (aka Damschroder and Williams)
REF ML128 T5 D27 1990
The Bible of theory bibliography
Analyses of Nineteenth- and Twentieth-Century Music, 1940-2000
REF ML113 H695 2007
Also consult earlier editions and supplements of this work in the regular book shelves (5th floor) under the same basic call number.
Heinrich Schenker: An Annotated Index to His Analyses of Musical Works
REF ML423 S33 L4
Ancient Greek Music Theory: A catalogue raisonné of Manuscripts
REF ML113 I6 ser BXI (1988)
Bibliographie der musiktheoretischen Drucke des 16. Jahrhunderts
REF ML128 T5 D38 1962
The Theory of Music from the Carolingian Era up to 1400: Descriptive Catalogue of Manuscripts
REF ML113 I6 ser.B III (1961) (6 vols.)
In REF ML134 may be found bibliographies dedicated to specific composers (which cite, among other literature, theoretical analyses of individual works).
Searching the Library catalogue
Use the basic word(s) anywhere or advanced keyword search in the library catalogue. You can search using words for such things as historical periods (e.g., baroque, renaissance, romantic), musical genres (e.g., punk, folk songs, symphonies), musical styles (e.g., galant, bop, minimalist music), instruments, and individual musicians.
| Truncation symbol: | ? | e.g. theor? will retrieve catalogue records containing the words theory, theorem, theories, theoretical, etc. |
| Phrase searching: | "___" | e.g. "music theory" will retrieve catalogue records containing the phrase music theory |
| Boolean operators: | (), AND, OR, NOT default: AND |
e.g. schoenberg AND ("music theory" OR "musical analysis") will retrieve catalogue records containing the word schoenberg AND either of the phrases music theory OR musical analysis |
Browse by call number
From the Basic Search screen of the Library catalogue, select Call number begins with... and enter one of the call numbers below, or simply browse the Music Library shelves at:
| ML432 | Biographies of theorists |
| ML430-ML455 | History of composition |
| ML3800-ML3921.8 | Philosophy and physics of music |
| MT5.5-MT7 | Music theory: instruction and study |
| MT50-MT55 | Harmony textbooks and treatises |
| MT90-MT146 | Analytical guides |
Subject headings
Subject headings are the standardized descriptions of library documents found in the catalogue. They capture what an item is "about" regardless of the terminology or language used by an author so that all items on a particular topic may be found more easily. A search using the following words and phrases should retrieve relevant resources:
| Music theory Musical analysis Music philosophy and aesthetics Harmony Harmonic analysis Keyboard harmony Schenkerian analysis Music intervals and scales Musical form Musical meter and rhythm composition (music) Counterpoint Music notation |
Add time periods: To 500 500-1400 Early works to 1800 15th century 16th century 17th century... |
Core and additional databases
The most efficient way of finding periodical literature is to search in literature databases, since individual articles are not indexed in the Library Catalogue.
- RILM: Répertoire international de littérature musicale
Citations and abstracts of scholarly music literature – articles, books, theses, conference proceedings, etc. – from around the world - Music Index Online
Citations only to a mix of scholarly and more popular periodical literature – links to full-text articles in JSTOR - IIMP: International Index to Music Periodicals
Citations and abstracts of scholarly and popular music periodical literature; more than 80 titles have at least some full text - Proquest Dissertations and Theses Full Text
Full-text available for most dissertations (from all disciplines) published after 1996. Citations, abstracts, and occasionally full-text are available for earlier dissertations. - MTO Dissertations Index
List of theses whose titles have been announced in Music Theory Online - Doctoral Dissertations in Musicology Online
Citations to dissertations in process or already completed; international in coverage, though North American coverage is most complete
Selected Internet sites
- TMI Thesaurus musicarum italicarum
An electronic corpus of Italian music treatises from the Renaissance and early Baroque. Nearly thirty full-text works including those of Pietro Aaron and Gioseffo Zarlino - Thesaurus musicarum latinarum
Hosted by Indiana University, TML is "an evolving database of the entire corpus of Latin music theory written during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance" - Saggi musicali italiani
Another database developed by the Center for the History of Music Theory and Literature, SMI is a full-text database of major music theory treatises written in Italian from 1400- - Texts on Music in English from the Medieval and Early Modern Eras
From the Center for the History of Music Theory and Literature, TME provides full-text access to English-language treatises from the 14th century to the 17th century. - Traités français sur la musique
From the Center for the History of Music Theory and Literature, Tfm will "eventually comprise all relevant manuscript and printed materials written in French from the Middle Ages through the nineteenth century"
Other resources
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