Popular Music

The Music Collection has song books containing songs in every style.  Most are arranged for piano and voice with guitar chord symbols above the melodies.  A few are "leadsheets," or "fake books," which notate the melody with only chords indicated for accompaniment.  Some song books of these come with an accompaniment CD for practice or performance.  The CDs can sometimes be transposed to a different voice range or the tempo changed using a computer program.

Library of Congress Call Numbers for Song Books:

• M 1503:  Complete Songs from an Opera or Musical
• M 1507: Selected Songs from an Opera or Musical
• M 1527:  Music from Movies or Television
• M 1629:  Folk Music
• M 1630.18:  Most Song Books of Popular Music
• M 1741.18:  Songs by a Group, e.g., the Beatles
• M 1977:  Wedding Music

Some recommended series

• "Original Keys for Singers," for example, songs by  Mariah Carey
•  Hal Leonard Pro Vocal
• Singer's Musical Theatre Anthology