Key (MARC 384)

Music Cataloging at Yale MARC tagging

Note: this page was created with music cataloging in mind.

Use in conjunction with Recording key for musical works (RDA 6.17) and Best practices for music cataloging

See also 380: Form of work | 381: Other distinguishing characteristics of work or expression | 382: Medium of performance | 383: Numeric designation of musical work
Sources: LC MARC 21 format for bibliographic date and authority data and DCM Z1

Indicators | Subfields | Examples

In bibliographic and authority records: the set of pitch relationships that establishes a single pitch class as a tonal center, or principal tonal center, for a musical work or expression. May be used to differentiate a musical work or expression from another with the same title.

Currently, 384 fields are not added to authority records for authorized access points representing arrangements.

Instructions for PCC catalogers in Descriptive Cataloging Manual (DCM) Z1, section on field 384:
     ° Best practices:
          » Encode when available for works.
          » Do not encode for expressions.
          » In case of doubt, do not encode.

Indicators
1st 0 = original key
1 = transposed key
2nd blank
Subfields
‡a Key: The pitch name and the mode (e.g., major or minor).
Examples
384 0_ G major
384 0_ F# minor
384 0_ A minor/E minor [mode indicated in the AAP: ‡r A minor/E minor (no2008048534)]
384 0_ B [no mode indicated in the AAP: ‡r B]
384 0_ C [no mode indicated]
384 0_ F♯ major/minor [mode indicated in the AAP: ‡r F♯ major/minor (n 2014046262)]