Skip to Main Content

Guide for Music Citation - Chicago/Turabian Style (New 18th ed)

Courtesy of M.Shaw, Cook Music Library, Indiana University

Two Authors or Two Editors

F:  Maria Susana Azzi and Simon Collier, Le grand tango: The Life and Music of Astor Piazzolla (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000), 159–61. 

B:  Azzi, Maria Susana, and Simon Collier. Le grand tango: The Life and Music of Astor Piazzolla. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000.

  • List authors in the order given on the title page. If you do not have the title page, find the item in IUCAT. The "Title" portion of the page will list the authors in correct title page order.
  • For bibliographies, the name of only the first-named author is in reverse order (Last, First). The names of the other authors are in normal order (First Last).

Three or More Authors or Editors

F:   Diethard Hellmann et al., Musikalische Aufführungspraxis und Edition: Johann Sebastian Bach, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven (G. Bosse, 1990), 84-85.

B:  Hellmann, Diethard, Hubert Meister, Franz Beyre, Ute Jung-Kaiser, and Johannes Fischer. Musikalische Aufführungspraxis und Edition: Johann Sebastian Bach, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven. G. Bosse, 1990.

  • In the footnote, only the first author's name is given, followed by et al.
  • In the bibliography, up to 6 names are given. If there are more than 6 authors, insert the first 3 authors followed by et al.
  • List authors in the order given on the title page. If you do not have the title page, find the item in IUCAT. The "Title" portion of the page will list the authors in correct title page order.
  • For bibliographies, the name of only the first-named author are in reverse order (Last, First). The names of the other authors are in normal order (First Last).

No Author

F:   Compleat Instructions for the Fife: Containing the Best and Easiest Directions to Learn that Instrument, with a Collection of the Most Celebrated Marches, Airs, &c., Perform’d in the Guards and Other Regiments, Performers’ Facsimiles 158 (New York: Performers’ Facsimiles, [1998]), 5–6.

B:  Compleat Instructions for the Fife: Containing the Best and Easiest Directions to Learn that Instrument, with a Collection of the Most Celebrated Marches, Airs, &c., Perform’d in the Guards and Other Regiments. Performers’ Facsimiles 158. New York: Performers’ Facsimiles, [1998].

  • If "Anonymous" or "Anon." appears on the title page, you can insert Anonymous or Anon. in the author slot. 
  • If your bibliography contains several sources without authors, you can insert Anonymous in the author slot for each item. When Anonymous appears more than once, readers should not assume that all works are written by the same person. (See Chicago 13.81) 

Editor / Translator / Arranger

F:   Lynne Jarman, ed., Canadian Music: A Selected Checklist 1950-73 (University of Toronto Press, 1976), 137-39.

B:  Jarman, Lynne, ed. Canadian Music: A Selected Checklist 1950-73. University of Toronto Press, 1976.

F:   Roberta Gottesman and Catherine Sentman, eds., The Music Lover's Guide to Europe: A Compendium of Festivals, Concerts, and Opera (John Wiley & Sons, 1992), 33-34.

B:  Gottesman, Roberta, and Catherine Sentman, eds. The Music Lover's Guide to Europe: A Compendium of Festivals, Concerts, and Opera. John Wiley & Sons, 1992.

  • If there are multiple editors, use "eds." 
  • For a translator, use "trans." For an arranger, use "arr."


Author and Editor/Translator/Compiler

  • If your book has both an author and an editor/translater/compiler, you must cite both.
  • The author comes first, and the editor/translater/compiler comes after the title.
  • Note that "translated" is fully spelled out in the bibliographic (B) citation. Edited by, translated by, compiled by, revised by are usually spelled out. 

F:    Marin Mersenne, Harmonie Universelle: The Books on Instruments, trans. Roger E. Chapman (The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, 1957), 130.

B:  Mersenne, Marin. Harmonie Universelle: The Books on Instruments. Translated by Roger E. Chapman. The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, 1957.

F:    Willi Apel, The History of Keyboard Music To 1700, trans. and rev. Hans Tischler (Indiana University Press, 1972), 116–17.

B:  Apel, Willi. The History of Keyboard Music to 1700. Translated and revised by Hans Tischler. Indiana University Press, 1972.

Corporation/Institution/Organization as Author

F:    College Music Society, Directory of Music Faculties in Colleges and Universities, U.S. and Canada, 2013–2014 (College Music Society, 2013), 25.

B:  College Music Society. Directory of Music Faculties in Colleges and Universities, U.S. and Canada, 2013-2014. College Music Society, 2013.