How to locate sheet music for opera, popular songs and classical music. Information on finding music criticism
The State Library of Victoria holds a wide range of sheet music. Check the catalogue by song title (see below). The Library also maintains the Song card index (see box below) for uncatalogued sheet music. This is not online and can only be accessed within the Library.
The Library holds a large range of books of songs, and published indexes. Try also some of the Internet sites listed below.
Locate songs that were popular in a particular era or period by using the resources below. For example, you might be searching for songs popular during the great depression era; songs popular during the Second World War; songs popular during the hippie era; songs of the 1920s.
Some useful published references are:
Australian popular music by Kenneth Snell.
Popular music - an annotated index of American popular songs.
Specific songs
Type the song title and the term 'score' into the Library catalogue. For instance : House of the rising sun 'score'.
If you look at the results list you will notice each item has this symbol 
indicating a music score.
One item is Fake book of the world's favourite songs. This item is useful and includes a wide range of songs. However fake books only give the melody line and one verse of the song and suggest some chords to use for an experienced pianist to follow. The individual sheet music would be the best option.
Song indexes
Songs indexes - this is a list of song indexes from our Library catalogue
The titles below are comprehensive published indexes.
Popular song index Patricial Havlice
Song index M.E. Sears
Song finder compiled by Gary Lynn Ferguson
Song card index
All the individual song sheet music in this index has been catalogued so these are all accessible through the catalogue. However the song card index can still be used to find songs in albums which is useful. No further entries are being added to the card index. It is located in the Arts Reading Room.
Below are some suggested sources for sheet music. You could also try a search engine.
Put in your "song title" and "sheet music" or "free sheet music". The results will vary.
Many sites will be commercial. Sites may only include guitar chords and not written music.
