Music Cataloging at Yale [1] ♪ MARC tagging [2]
This is a list of commonly used names of instruments, voices, and ensembles as found in the Library of Congress Medium of Performance Terms for Music (LCMPT). This is not a complete list. Please consult Classification Web [3] (subscription required) or the Library of Congress Medium of Performance Thesaurus for Music [4] website for the complete list.
These terms are used in conjunction with MLA's Best practices for using LCMPT [5] (version 1.41, 3/31/2020)) and Recording medium of performance for musical works [6] (RDA 6.15) in
the 382 field in bibliographic and authority records. See Medium of performance (MARC 382) [7] for MARC coding in the 382 field
Instruments: keyboard | wind: woodwind | brass | bowed string | plucked string | percussion | electronic | other | early | unspecified
Voices
Ensembles: instrumental | vocal
Voices | Vocal ensembles |
voice (unspecified vocalized part) ° singer (a performer who uses her or his voice to produce musical tone) ° child's voice ° child soprano voice ° boy soprano voice ° high voice ° soprano voice ° countertenor voice ° tenor voice ° medium voice ° mezzo-soprano voice ° baritone voice ° low voice ° alto voice ° bass-baritone voice ° bass voice ° basso profondo ° lead singer ° female voice ° male voice ° speaker (a performer who uses a speaking, rather than a singing, voice) |
vocal ensemble (two or more unspecified voices) ° solo vocal ensemble (solo voices) ° chorus (unspecified chorus of voices) ° children's chorus ° chorus changing voices ° equal voices (all the voices parts are for one type of voice) ° girls' chorus ° boys' chorus ° men's chorus (adult male voices) ° mixed chorus ° spoken chorus (performers who use a speaking voice rather than a singing voice) ° women's chorus |
Instrumental ensembles | |
instrumental ensemble (diverse instruments that cannot be described by a more specific term) ° orchestra ° chamber orchestra ° string orchestra ° band ° band versus wind ensemble: ° a "band" is a large ensemble consisting primarily of winds, brass, and percussion. ° may include non-wind instruments. ° a “wind ensemble” is an ensemble consisting of two or more mixed wind instruments. ° consists solely of wind instruments. source: MLA's Best Practices for Using LCMPT [8], page 12 ° big band (generally 10-15 solo instruments, sometimes including a vocalist) ° brass band (brass instruments, sometimes percussion) ° keyboard ensemble (two or more varied keyboard instruments) ° harpsichord ensemble ° organ ensemble ° piano ensemble ° wind ensemble (two or more mixed wind instruments) (see band for the difference between "band" and "wind ensemble") ° woodwind ensemble (two or more different woodwind instruments) ° flute choir ° oboe ensemble ° clarinet choir ° saxophone ensemble ° brass ensemble (diverse brass instruments that cannot be described by a more specific term) ° cornet ensemble ° trumpet ensemble ° horn ensemble ° trombone ensemble ° tuba ensemble ° bowed string ensemble mixed or unspecified ensemble of bowed string instruments) ° violin ensemble ° viola ensemble ° cello ensemble ° plucked instrument ensemble ° guitar ensemble ° harp ensemble ° lute ensemble ° mandolin ensemble ° percussion ensemble ° handbell choir ° mallet ensemble ° marimba ensemble ° steel band ° electronics (unspecified electronic sounds, either produced live or from a recording) ° live electronics ° processed sound |
Links
[1] http://web.library.yale.edu/cataloging/music
[2] http://web.library.yale.edu/cataloging/music/marc-tagging
[3] http://classificationweb.net/
[4] http://id.loc.gov/authorities/performanceMediums.html
[5] http://cmc.blog.musiclibraryassoc.org/documents/best-practices-for-using-lcmpt/
[6] http://web.library.yale.edu/cataloging/music/medium
[7] http://web.library.yale.edu/cataloging/music/MARC382
[8] http://cmc.blog.musiclibraryassoc.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2018/07/BPsForUsingLCMPT-1.pdf