LibGuides: Music Research Guide: Writing & Citing

Citing Your Sources

The citation style used by academics writing about music history or theory is usually. Turabian/Chicago Manual Style. However, it is always a good idea to consult your syllabus and/or speak with your professor to make sure you are using the correct citation style for your assignment.

For general information on how to cite sources according to the Chicago Manual Style, visit our research guide on Citing Sources: Chicago Style or the Chicage Manual Style page on the Purdue OWL Website.

Style Guides

You can consult these manuals when you need help understanding how you should cite sources within your paper as well as when you need help understanding how to create a works cited list or annotated bibliography. As a reminder, make sure you are using the citation style indicated by your professor.

The Chicago Manual of Style by University of Chicago Press Editorial Staff
ISBN: 9780226287058
Publication Date: 2017-09-05
A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations by Kate L. Turabian; Wayne C. Booth (Revised by); Gregory G. Colomb (Revised by); University of Chicago Press Staff (Revised by); Joseph M. Williams (Revised by)
ISBN: 9780226816371
Publication Date: 2013-04-03

Citing Musical Sources: Turabian

Chapter 17.8 in the eighth edition of A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations by Kate L. Turabian provides citation information for sources in the visual and performing arts. Below are examples on how to sort some of the more common sources specific to music research.

Bibliographic style information and examples found in chapter 17.8 include the following sources:

artworks and graphics
- paintings, sculptures, and photographs
- graphic arts
live performances
movies, television, radio, interviews, advertisements, videos, and podcasts
sound recordings
texts in the visual and performing arts
- art exhibition catalogs
- plays
- musical scores

Musical Scores

According to Turabian 17.8.5.3:

"Cite a published musical score as you would a book."

Examples:

Notes: 1. Gieuseppe Verdi, Giovanna d'Arco, dramma lirico in four acts, libretto by Temistocle Solera, ed. Alberto Rizzuti, 2 vols., Works of Giuseppe Verdi, ser. 1, Operas (Chicago: University of Chicago Press; Milan: G Ricordi, 2008).

Bibliography: Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus. Sonatas and Fantasies for the Piano. Prepared from the autographs and earliest printed sources by Nathan Broder. Rev. ed. Bryn Mawr, PA: Theodore Presser, 1960.

Sound Recordings

According to Turabian 17.8.4:

"To cite a recording, include as much information as you can to distinguish it from similar recordings, including the date of the recording, the name of the recording company, the identifying number of the recording, the copyright date (if different from the year of the recording), and the medium. Titles of albums should be in italics; individual selections should be in quotation marks except for musical works referred to by genre (see 22.3.2.3) Abbreviate compact disc as CD. Recordings consulted conline should include an access date and a URL (see 15.4.1.3)."

Examples:

Notes: 11. Billie Holiday, "I'm a Fool to Want You," by Joel Herron, Frank Sinatra, and Jack Wolf, recorded February 20, 1958, with Ray Ellis, on Lady In Satin, Columbia CL 1157, 33 1/3 rpm.

Bibliography: Shostakovich, Dmitri. Symphony no. 5 / Symphony no. 9. Conducted by Leonard Bernstein. Recorded with the New York Philharmonic, October 20, 1959 (no. 5), and October 19, 1965 (no. 9). Sony SMK 61841, 1999. CD.

Writing about Music

Music in Words by Trevor Herbert
Call Number: Stack Level 4 ML3797 H537 2009
ISBN: 0199706158
Publication Date: 2009
The book is a writing guide and a reference manual in one: the first part, a "how to" section, offers a clear explanation of the purpose of music research and how it is to be done, including basic introductions to the most necessary tools for musical inquiry (with special emphasis on strategic use of the internet), and how they can be accessed and used. The second part is a compendium of information on style and sources for quick reference, including a straightforward presentation of the purpose and use of citation and reference systems as they are applied to and in music.
Music Library and Research Skills by Jane Gottlieb
Call Number: Stack Level 4 ML3797 G68 2016
ISBN: 9780190267940
Publication Date: 2016-10-17
Music Library and Research Skills, Second Edition, introduces the prime concepts of music research, helping students develop a firm understanding of the tools that provide information about music: what types of sources exist, how they are arranged, and how they may best be used to do research.
Writing about Music: An Introductory Guide by Richard Wingell
Call Number: Stack Level 4 ML3797 W54 1990
ISBN: 0139708561
Publication Date: 1989-09-01
For all undergraduate music courses that involve writing projects; intended as a supplementary text. Helping students write clear, convincing, persuasive prose on musical topics, this practical introductory text focuses on general writing issues as well as special challenges of writing about music-with clear, step-by-step explanations of the process of writing a paper.
Writing about Music: A Style Sheet by D. Kern Holoman
Call Number: REF ML3797 W75 2008
ISBN: 9780520256187
Publication Date: 2008-07-01
This text covers some of the thorniest issues of musical discourse: how to go about describing musical works and procedures in prose, the rules for citations in notes and bibliography, and proper preparation of such materials as musical examples, tables, and illustrations. One section discusses program notes, another explains the requirements for submitting manuscripts and electronic files. A new section outlines best practices for student writers. An appendix lists common problem words.