Music Classification Systems

Linda Barnhart; Mark McKnight

doi:10.5771/9781461669821

Summary

Due to the distinctive nature of music as a separate "language" that non-musicians are often unable to read or understand, the cataloging and classification of music materials frequently present special challenges. In response to this often problematic situation, this volume is designed to introduce the principles of music classification to beginning music catalogers, as well as to non-specialist catalogers, and those who only occasionally deal with music materials. It will surely relieve the stress level for general catalogers by providing practical guidelines as well as clarifying and explaining the most commonly used classification systems in the United States—the Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC), the Library of Congress Classification (LCC), and the Alpha-Numeric System for Classification of Recordings (ANSCR).

Also included is a general historical overview of music classification, from early attempts to organize specific collections, to the efforts of Oscar Sonneck and others to adapt fundamental principles of classification to the distinctive characteristics of music materials; as well as a discussion of the special needs of the users of those materials.

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Bibliographic data

Copyright year: 2002
ISBN-Print: 978-0-8108-4263-2
ISBN-Online: 978-1-4616-6982-1
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield, Lanham
Language: English
Pages: 163
Product type: Edited Book

1. Table of Contents No access
2. Foreword No access
3. Acknowledgments No access
4. List of Figures No access
1. Music Classification-History and Background No access
2. Systems of Classification No access
1. History and Background of DDC No access
2. Arrangement within DDC No access
3. Notes and Instructions No access
4. Hierarchies No access
5. Facets and Number Building No access
6. Using the Tables No access
7. Using the Manual No access
8. Using the Relative Index No access
1. History and Background No access
2. Features of LCC No access
3. Development of the Music Schedule No access
4. Organization of the Class-M Schedule No access
5. The Three Subclasses of LCC:M: M, ML, MT No access
1. History and Background No access
2. Outline of the System No access
1. Introduction No access
2. Shelf Arrangement in DDC No access
3. Shelf Arrangement in LCC No access
6. Concluding Observations No access Pages 141 - 144
Appendix I: Class-M Outline No access Pages 145 - 150
Selected Bibliography No access Pages 151 - 154
Index No access Pages 155 - 161
About the Author No access Pages 162 - 163