Ethnomusicology

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Comprehensive Encyclopedias

An excellent first point of entry, encyclopedias provide a general overview of a topic and can point to avenues of further research.

Garland Encyclopedia of World Music Online
A 10-volume series. Each of the first 9 volumes deals with a specific region and its music, with focus essays highlighting characteristic music practices. Volume 10 is a glossary plus a 240-page bibliography! Audio examples referred to in the text are also available online.

Encyclopedia of Popular Music of the World
The 12-volume set is the most academic encyclopedia of popular music from around the world. The series is divided into several "strands" - Media, Industry, and Society (vol. 1); Performance and Production (vol. 2); Locations (vols. 3-7); and Genres (vols. 8-12) - so someone studying the use of guitar in Bossa Nova should consult vols. 2 (for "guitars"), 3 ("Brazil"), and 9 ("Bossa Nova").

The SAGE international encyclopedia of music and culture
This 5-volume set "presents key concepts in the study of music in its cultural context and provides an introduction to the discipline of ethnomusicology, its methods, concerns, and its contributions to knowledge and understanding of the world′s musical cultures, styles, and practices."

Grove Music Online
Although it concentrates on the Western classical music tradition, Grove Music Online covers music and musicians from around the world.

New Grove Dictionary of Musical Instruments
From the 'Artaba to Zvonce, this encyclopedia describes the character, history, and techniques of instruments from around the world. Several - but not all! - of this encyclopedia's articles are found in Grove Music Online. Consult the print version (REF ML102.I5N48 2014) in the Music Library's Reference section to access its full contents.

National encyclopedias

Several encyclopedias cover the music of a particular region or country. For example:

Oxford Encyclopaedia of the Music of India
"The most authoritative reference on the subject, this encyclopedia covers classical, folk, film, and other musical forms in India." Also available in print

The Canadian Encyclopedia
The Canadian Encyclopedia includes articles about musicians and musical traditions, events, and venues in Canada. Many were originally published in the print Encyclopedia of Music in Canada (2nd ed., 1992) and have since been updated.

Find other national or regional encyclopedias by searching for encyclopedias OR dictionaries and the name of the country or region as a Subject in the Library catalogue's Advanced Search.

Encyclopedias of religions and cultural groups

Musical practices of various religions may be found in reference works about each religion. In the Library catalogue's Advanced Search, search for encyclopedias OR dictionaries and the name of the religion or its followers as a Subject. Take a similar approach for distinct cultural groups. For example: