Introduction
This is a guide designed to help you locate information and materials related to percussion. It is not a complete bibliography, but rather indicates key resources and types of materials that may be useful when seeking information in this area. It can act as a starting point for your research and as a reference point that you can revisit in the future. Along the left side are tabs to direct you to information regarding book, score, audio and video recording, article, periodical and other online resources for percussion.
Please note: This guide largely focuses on materials and resources that fall under the larger umbrella of the percussion instrument family. For more information on specific percussion instruments, you can conduct keyword searches and, to a lesser extent, subject searches using the desired instrument rather than the term "percussion" (for example, marimba or xylophone).
All listed items are available in the Music Library. Consult the Library Catalog for complete holdings information and availability of materials. If you need assistance, a music librarian will be happy to help you. Also, if you have recommendations for other resources on percussion that are not owned by the Music Library, please let us know.
Music Library Contact
School of Music, Theatre & Dance
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2085
734.764.2512
Subject Headings
Below are some examples of subject headings related to percussion which may be useful when searching or browsing in the Library Catalog Search.
To search subject headings in Library Catalog, go to the "Advanced" search page and select Subject in the pull-down menu next to the search field. Enter any one of the headings in the list below into the search field. Use quotes around phrases for more precise results.
Books and Periodicals
- "Percussion instruments"
- "Percussion instruments -- Instruction and study"
- "Percussion instruments -- History"
- "Percussion music -- History and criticism"
- "Percussion instruments -- Bibliography"
- "Percussion music -- Bibliography"
- "Percussionists -- Biography"
Scores, Recordings and Videorecordings
- "Percussion music" (solo percussion music)
- "Percussion ensembles" (music for 2 or more percussionists)
- "Percussion and piano music"
- "Percussion with orchestra"
- "Percussion with string orchestra"
- "Concertos (Percussion)"
- "Concertos (Percussion with string orchestra)"
- "Sonatas (Percussion)"
- "Sonatas (Percussion and piano)"
- "Suites (Percussion)"
- "Percussion instruments -- Orchestral excerpts"
- "Percussion instruments -- Studies and exercises"
- "Percussion instruments -- Methods"
For chamber ensemble music, you can use "Percussion ensembles" to browse items with all percussion instrumentation and use "Trios" (or quartets, etc.) to browse items with mixed instrumentation (ex., wind and percussion). Please note that these terms are only starting points which will lead you to more specific subject headings connected to items that include percussion within their instrumentation.
Call Number Areas
Below are some selected call number ranges where percussion materials may be located. You can browse the shelves or consult the Library Catalog for a more specific listing of materials by call number.
| M 145-175 | Solo percussion music |
| M 284-285 | Percussion and piano music |
| M 298 | Duets: two percussion instruments (not all items include percussion) |
| M 298 | Duets: non-percussion and percussion instrument (not all items include percussion) |
| M 1038 | Percussion with orchestra (full scores) |
| M 1039 | Percussion with orchestra (piano reductions) |
| M 1138 | Percussion with string orchestra (full scores) |
| M 1139 | Percussion with string orchestra (piano reductions) |
| ML 1030-1049 | Percussion history |
| MT 655-664, MT 710-720, MT 724.5-725 |
Percussion instruction and study |
| MT 655.4 | Orchestral excerpts (general works) |
| ML 128 .P23 Z 6814 .P38 |
Percussion bibliographies |
To search by call number in the Library Catalog, select "Call number starts with" in the pull-down menu in the Advanced search page and enter the beginning of a call number (ex., M 320).