Music Research Guide: Web Sites

Large list of annotated links by category for the University of California, Santa Barbara Libraries.

From the Library of Congress. Includes print, video, audio in the fields of music, theater, and dance. Links to databases, special collections of scores, sheet music, and more. Choral music, African-American band music, ragtime, and Dolly Parton and ...

Huge site with reviews, biographies, news, blog, sound files, overviews of types of music (pop/rock, jazz, r & b, country, blues, world, electronica, classical, gospel), countries, themes, instruments). Detailed information on recordings and ....

"Websites you can trust." Categoies include acoustics, composers, history, lyrics, music appreciation, therapy, reviews, instruments, musicians, rave culture, scores, songs, and theory.

From the American Musicological Society, link categories cover computer and electronic music, folk, jzz, rock and pop, early music, sacred music, music therapy, music theory, instruments, composers, Latin music, film, women, and more.

Many well-organized links including the usual and unusual--bootlegs, censorship, charts, downloads, equipment, music videos, DJs, games, software, tabulature, etc.

Articles, artist bios, information on their 500 greatest songs.

Scroll down the page to the web links related to the history of rock and roll. Topics include roots, explosion, transition to mainstream, folk influence, soul, British invasion, 1960's blues revival and psychedelia, hard rock and black music in the '70's, punk, the 80's and rap. Collected by a librarian at Cuyahoga Community College.

Use the search box to get to biographical information which includes analysis of the songs or click on "Inductee Exhibits" where writers are listed by era--Early American Song, Tin Pan Alley, Rock 'n Roll.

Scroll down for the list of "500 songs that shaped rock and roll". Information on the artists under "Exhibits".

Classic and rare rock videos for viewing free online.

lots of information. Includes sound files, timeline, roots and influences, information on the record companies and the DJs as well as categories of music: New Orleans, West Coast, Hot Rod, Surf, Second Wave, Soul, Rockabilly, Guitar, Early 60's Pop, Girl Groups, Vocal, Garage Bands, etc. Author's credentials unknown.

Fairly comprehensive coverage of artists from 1920-2000. Includes sound files, videos, and stills.

"Inductees" section has biographies of the artists. "Explore the Music" includes sound files, and a subsection on the "History of the Music" which includes a separate history on the Grand Ole Opry.

News, charts (with samples), new releases, reviews.

Well-organized site with many quality links.

Commercial site includes ads as well as searchable articles, free downloads, interviews, cd reviews, news, events and concerts.

Site is packed with information about history, styles, improvization, piano chords and scales, guitar chords, theory, and harmony. Includes a timeline and glossary. Material is copyrighted and printing appears to be blocked.

Online version of a textbook by a jazz musician. Includes a short history, fundamentals, theory, scales and chords, and accompanying and playing with other musicians.

Short composer biographies, index of music by form, style and instrument, glossary, composers by geographic area. Information compiled by faculty at various colleges.

CD reviews, information on composers, extensive subject bibliography, 3800 classical music links.

Definition, characteristics, philosophy, composers, and links to more information.

Comprehensive site housed at Stanford University. Information on libretti, source texts, performance histories, synopses, composers, librettists, list of operas, access to the educational Opera for Everyone CDs which cover Madama Butterfly, Carmen, La Traviata, and The Barber of Seville. List of operas with fewer that six performers.

Commercial site with many links to opera resources, some of which are selling opera merchandise like sheet music or CDs.

Searchable database of the text and translations of most of the over 1100 arias and MIDI files for some. Maintained by a voice instructor.

Comprehensive site created by a professor of musical theatre history. Well organized, attractive, and easy to use, the site has history in general as well as history of specific musicals and performer biographies. Reviews, essays, how to put on a musical are included. Covers 1700-2000's. Information on vaudeville, minstrel shows, and burlesque also.

Collection of links from the University of Washington Libraries. Scroll down page for links by geographic region.

Commercial site with annotated links by genre, artist, and world music basics.

Over 25 annotated links to interesting sites.

Links to sites on reading music and music theory. Free theory drills.

Site includes tutorial of 26 lessons by a high school music instructor. Covers topics like musical staff, notes, keyboard, durations, scales, keys, intervals, time, chords,etc. Lessons, optional quizzes, answer keys, glossary. Lesson Cds for sale.

Series of short modules on pitch and interval, octaves and the major-minor tonal system, half and whole steps, intervals, ear training, keys and scales, circle of fifths, triads and other chords, harmonic analysis, cadence, and consonance and dissonance.

Part of a commercial site which has a wealth of links to collected biographies (women, "neglected" composers, etc.) and pages for individual composers.

resources for contemporary musicians and composers; grant info; streaming radio; library of living American compusers, etc.

Biographies, discographies, appearances, and more for many contemporary pop and blues/jazz artists. Not all artists are in the browse list. Try a keyword search, too.

Features instruments from the Wesleyan University World Instrument Collection. Search by name, type, or material. Excellent, attractive, easy to use site, crammed with good information. Signed articles may include physical description, history,...

Non-profit organization that promotes "the study of the history, design, and use of musical instruments in all cultures and from all periods". Long lists links on instruments, history of instrument makers, instrument making, lots more.

Non-profit organization dedicated to the study of musical instruments. Scroll down to the collection of "Links to Other Musical Instrument Web Pages" for some interesting links including unusual musical instruments sources.

Commercial site maintained by a musicologist/librarian which contains several pages of annotated links and a bibliography of helpful print reference sources.

Excellent searchable resource sponsored by the West Mesa Music Teachers Association. Includes tips for teachers and piano students, interviews, reviews of software, sound files for over 600 piano pieces, kid stuff, news, articles, information on ...

Site maintained by professional guitarist has scores, a beginner's page, MIDI files, links to other guitar sites, and more.

From the Word Star free dictionary site. Scroll down to the dictionary. Select key, chord, tuning, and handedness.

Personal site provides a list of composers by name, date, or nationality. Links from names provide more information.

Over 12,000 MIDI and MP3 files for over 1000 composers.

Free sheet music page has links to a lot of sheet music sites.

Search over 50,000 uncensored lyrics by song, artist, band, album. Keyword searching. Commercial site with lots of ads. Anyone can submit lyrics but they are apparently checked for accuracy.

Compiled by a music professor, these links are available to download. Some require a particular format to print.

Well organized large directory of links to sheet music by instrument. Not all sites are completely free. Includes many sound files and good directions on downloading.

Site with links maintained by a professional musician and SKDesigns. Includes comprehensive pages of links to lyrics, some scores, and MIDI files.

From a Duke University collection. Over 3000 printable, digitized images including cover illustrations. Some emphasis on Southern music. Search by keyword, name, and subject. Information included on copyright.

Over 29,000 pieces of sheet music in the Johns Hopkins University collection. American popular music covering 1780-1980 with some focus on 19th century and war time music. Extremely well-indexed. Browse by over 100 categories or search by numerous fields like location of publisher, illustrator, dedicatee. Covers and music downloadable and printable.

Archive of over 2500 scores and MIDI files. Searchable by composer, title, type of piece, voice, and more. Indexed. Viewing requires plug-ins. See "system requirements" for information.

Commercial site which gives good explanation of public domain and copyright. Sheet music, downloads, CDs, and books are for sale.

Scroll down to see a large collection of sheet music and mutli-media links.

Approximately 450,000 pieces of sheet music, anthologies, and arrangements for band and orchestra are included. Includes music for theater, film, radio, and television as well as the usual popular music genres. Links to more sheet music sites.

Non-profit organization dedicated to "helping musicians and music entrepreneurs create sustainable careers". Advice on career strategies, marketing, production, business, legal, education, and by music type. Includes video interviews with famous musicians and music educators. Searchable by person, company/school, topic, or keyword. Videos, articles, news.

Site for music professionals hosts discussion groups, reviews books, sells publications, posts professional meeting and job notices, and contains music links.

Web site created by Enoch Pratt Free Public Library. Links to local resources in the following areas: production, education, musician/band listings, opera companies, orchestras, music societies, record labels, stores carrying local music, media outlets, shows & concerts, festivals, venues, local music MP3s.

Commercial site which also contains downloadable images for backgrounds, music notation, and instruments. Provides copyright information.