Music Citation Guide (Chicago Style)

Before you start citing, check out our video!


 

Visit our Music Citation Tutorial to practice citing music sources and for a quick video (4 min 34 sec) that discusses:

  • the anatomy, or the distinct parts, of a citation for music sources
  • tips for creating accurate citations
  • the importance of citing sources
  • when to cite something and where to look for citations in sources

Looking for APA Style resources?

This guide will help you to format citations in Chicago Style (sometimes also called Turabian Style). Need to format citations using APA style instead? Check out the following resources:

Getting started

How to use this guide:

  • Start with the "Books" tab - this section has information that will help you to become familiar with the different parts of a basic citation, and includes a number of examples that may be useful for other types of sources (e.g. you can use the example of a book with an authors and an editor to cite a score that lists a composer and an editor, etc.).
     
  • The other tabs on the menu are alphabetized by material types like journal articles, scores, etc. Once you click on a tab, scroll down for more nuanced help for different situations involving a resource of that type (e.g. the Scores tab includes examples of print scores by one composer, vocal scores, reprint scores, digital scores, etc.).
     
  • In each tab, you'll find examples of how to format both footnotes and bibliography entries for that material type; you'll see a template you can follow that lists each element of the citation, as well as an example of a citation for a real item. 
     
  • You may need to cite materials that don't fit the templates presented here! Remember that music materials can sometimes be unusual, so if you have any questions or problems, please contact Jessica Abbazio, UMN's Music Librarian, at jabbazio@umn.edu for personalized help!

 

For further guidance on Chicago Style:

Questions? Need help? Contact Jessica Abbazio, Music Librarian (jabbazio@umn.edu).

Last Updated: Dec 18, 2023 4:57 PM