Created by George Sherman Dickinson, the Dickinson Classification system is a DECIMAL system. This is different than the Library of Congress System, which is used for book materials at Vassar and utilizes cardinal numbers.
*All oversized musical scores are shelved on the ground floor of the Music Library, beginning near the stairwell.*
Select the he advanced search option and selec to search the "Holdings call number:" field.
The Dickinson classification is a decimal system which uses digits 0 to 9 to represent different genres of music:
0 Miscellaneous: Collections, facsimiles, monuments, collected works, methods
1 Keyboard instruments (solo and ensemble)
2 Bowed string instruments (alone, or with piano or continuo accompaniment)
3 Wind instruments (alone, or with piano or continuo accompaniment)
4 Plectral, percussion, and electric instruments
6 Orchestral ensemble (including band, concertos)
7 Voice solo and solo ensemble (including folk songs)
8 Choral and solo-choral ensemble
9 Dramatic ensembles (operas, musicals, motion picture music, ballet, incidental music)
Did you know that you can
Select the he advanced search option and selec to search the "Holdings call number:" field.
| 00 |
miscellaneous collections, instrumental and vocal, several composers |
|
| 001 | miscellaneous collections, instrumental, several composers | |
| 007 | miscellaneous collections, vocal or choral, several composers | |
| 01 |
monuments, historical sets |
|
| 015 | miscellaneous historical collections representing an overview of music history | |
| 04 | facsimiles | |
| 05 | collected works of one composer | |
| 053 | notebooks or sketchbooks and studies of one composer | |
| 06 | partial collections, several classes, one composer | |
| 063 | works for unspecified instruments | |
| 07 | methods, tutors, etc. | |
| 0711-0746 | instrumental | |
| 0758 | jazz | |
| 077 | vocal solo | |
| 078 | choral |
| 1 | miscellaneous keyboard collections |
| 11 | piano, harpsichord, clavichord, virginal, etc. (not organ) |
| 117 | piano technics |
| 12 | piano ensemble |
| 15 | organ and harmonium |
| 16 | organ ensemble |
| 17 | mixed keyboard ensemble |
| 2 | miscellaneous collections | |
| 21 | violin and piano | |
| 210 | violin alone | |
| 21019 | violin and continuo | =01 continuo arr. for keyboard |
| 217 | violin technics | |
| 22 | viola and piano | |
| 22019 | viola and continuo | =01 continuo arr. for keyboard |
| 227 | Viola technics | |
| 23 | cello and piano | |
| 230 | cello alone | |
| 23019 | cello and continuo | =01 continuo arr. for keyboard |
| 237 | cello technics | |
| 24 | double bass and piano | |
| 240 | double bass alone | |
| 24019 | double bass with continuo | =01 continuo arr. for keyboard |
| 247 | double bass technics |
| 3 | miscellaneous collections | |
| 31 | flute (piccolo, recorder) and piano | |
| 310 | flute (piccolo, recorder) alone | |
| 31019 | flute (piccolo, recorder) and continuo | =01 continuo arr. for keyboard |
| 317 | flute technics, including orchestra studies | |
| 32 | oboe (English horn) and piano | |
| 320 | oboe (English horn) alone | |
| 32019 | oboe (English horn) and continuo | =01 continuo arr. for keyboard |
| 327 | oboe (English horn) technics, including orchestra studies | |
| 33 | clarinet and piano | |
| 330 | clarinet alone | |
| 337 | clarinet technics, including orchestra studies | |
| 34 | bassoon and piano | |
| 340 | bassoon alone | |
| 34019 | bassoon and continuo | =01 continuo arr. for keyboard |
| 347 | bassoon technics, including orchestra studies | |
| 35 | horn and piano | |
| 350 | horn alone | |
| 357 | horn technics, including orchestra studies | |
| 36 | trumpet and piano | |
| 37 | trombone and piano | |
| 382 | tuba and piano | |
| 3820 | tuba alone | |
| 384 | saxophone and piano | |
| 3840 | saxophone alone |
| 41 | harp alone | |
| 412 | harp ensemble | |
| 417 | harp technics | |
| 43 | guitar | |
| 44 | banjo | |
| 45 | other plectral instruments, including lute | |
| 46 | percussion instruments | |
| 463 | chimes, bells, glockenspiel | |
| 47 | mechanical instruments (music boxes, musical clocks, etc.) | |
| 48 | special instruments including electric and electronic | |
| 49 | electronic music; musique concrete |
| 5 | miscellaneous collections |
| 51 | keyboard, bowed string, wind, percussion (any combination of 4 families including keyboard, or all 5 families) |
| 52 | bowed string |
| 52019 | bowed string with continuo |
| 521 | bowed string ensembles with keyboard |
| 53 | wind |
| 53019 | wind with continuo |
| 531 | wind with keyboard |
| 54 | plectral string with percussion |
| 541 | plectral string with keyboard |
| 542 | plectral string with bowed string |
| 543 | plectral string with wind |
| 5431 | plectral string with wind and keyboard |
| 546 | percussion ensemble |
| 55 | bowed string with wind |
| 551 | bowed string, wind, keyboard |
| 554 | bowed string, wind, plectral |
| 5546 | bowed string, wind, percussion |
| 56 | bowed string, wind, plectral string, percussion |
| 57 | chamber ensembles with vocal parts |
| 58 | unspecified instrumentation |
| 59 | chamber music for instruments of the 18th century and earlier |
| 6 | miscellaneous collections | |
| 61 | full orchestra | |
| 62 | string orchestra | |
| 63 | band or wind orchestra | |
| 65 | chamber orchestra | |
| 661 | piano with orchestra | =01 accompaniment arranged for piano |
| 6615 | organ with orchestra | =01 accompaniment arranged for piano |
| 662 | violin with orchestra | =01 accompaniment arranged for piano |
| 6622 | viola with orchestra | =01 accompaniment arranged for piano |
| 6623 | cello with orchestra | =01 accompaniment arranged for piano |
| 6631 | flute with orchestra | =01 accompaniment arranged for piano |
| 6632 | oboe with orchestra | =01 accompaniment arranged for piano |
| 6633 | clarinet with orchestra | =01 accompaniment arranged for piano |
| 6634 | bassoon with orchestra | =01 accompaniment arranged for piano |
| 6635 | horn with orchestra | =01 accompaniment arranged for piano |
| 6636 | trumpet with orchestra | =01 accompaniment arranged for piano |
| 6637 | trombone with orchestra | =01 accompaniment arranged for piano |
| 66382 | tuba with orchestra | =01 accompaniment arranged for piano |
| 66384 | saxophone with orchestra | =01 accompaniment arranged for piano |
| 664 | harp with orchestra | =01 accompaniment arranged for piano |
| 6643 | guitar with orchestra | =01 accompaniment arranged for piano |
| 6646 | percussion with orchestra | =01 accompaniment arranged for piano |
| 665 | concerti grossi | |
| 666 | double, triple, etc. concerti with dissimilar soloists | |
| 67 | special orchestral ensembles | |
| 68 | combinations with incidental chorus, with or without vocal soli |
| 7 | miscellaneous collections | |
| 71 | secular vocal solo, accompanied by piano or other solo instrument | |
| 710 | secular vocal solo, unaccompanied | |
| 71019 | secular vocal solo with continuo | |
| 7105 | secular vocal solo with chamber ensemble | =01 accompaniment arr. for piano |
| 7106 | secular vocal solo with orchestra | =01 accompaniment arr. for piano |
| 715 | secular solo cantatas | |
| 717 | technics, solfeggi, vocalises, sight-singing materials | |
| 72 | secular vocal ensemble, accompaniment for solo instrument | |
| 720 | secular vocal ensemble, unaccompanied | |
| 7205 | secular vocal ensemble with chamber ensemble | |
| 7206 | secular vocal ensemble with orchestra | |
| 725 | secular cantatas, solo vocal ensemble | |
| 73 | college and school songs | |
| 74 | folk and national music and patriotic music (subdivided geographically) | |
| 75 | sacred vocal solo with single instrument accompaniment | |
| 7505 | sacred vocal solo with chamber ensemble | |
| 7506 | sacred vocal solo with orchestra | |
| 76 | sacred vocal ensemble with single instrument accompaniment | |
| 7605 | sacred vocal ensemble with chamber ensemble | |
| 7606 | sacred vocal ensemble with orchestra | |
| 78 | vocal solo or solo ensemble, arranged by poet | |
| 79 | secular monodic song (early Greek, songs of minstrelry, etc.) |
| 8 | miscellaneous collections | |
| 81 | secular choral works, more than one movement | |
| 810 | secular choral works, more than one movement, unaccompanied | |
| 814 | secular choral works for chorus, soli, and narrator | |
| 82 | single secular choruses and collections | |
| 820 | single secular choruses and collections, unaccompanied | |
| 827 | choral technics | |
| 85 | sacred choral works, more than one movement | |
| 850 | sacred choral works, more than one movement, unaccompanied | |
| 86 | single sacred choruses and collections | |
| 860 | single sacred choruses and collections, unaccompanied | |
| 87 | liturgical choral works (requiems, masses, communion services) | |
| 870 | liturgical choral works, unaccompanied | |
| 88 | congregational songs (hymns, chorales, etc.) subdivided by religions | |
| 882 | carols, all seasons | |
| 89 | plainchant, subdivided by religions |
| 9 | miscellaneous collections | |
| 91 | operas and musicals | |
| 91=01 | operas and musicals, vocal scores | |
| 92 | scenes, cantatas designed for stage presentation | |
| 935 | music for motion pictures and for television | |
| 95 | ballets | |
| 97 | incidental music to dramas, masques, pageants, pantomimes, etc. | |
| 978 | pasticcios, ballad operas | |
| 99 | forerunners of opera and ballet (to 1800) | |
| 996 | madrigal opera; dramatic or comedy madrigals |
