What is Variations, and where can I use it?
Variations is a digital music library system containing recordings and scores from the Cook Music Library collection at Indiana University. Variations is supported by the IU Digital Library Program and the Cook Music Library.
If you have an IU Network ID, you can use Variations. (For details, see Who can use Variations below.) To find out where Variations is installed on the IU campus, or how to install the program on your own computer, see the Variations User Guide.
Features of Variations
The newest release of Variations, version 6, allows you to:
- Listen to over 14,000 audio recordings, or view dozens of scanned
scores
- Create custom playlists, containing tracks or track excerpts from
different recordings
- Prepare for listening tests using the playlist listening drill
tool
- Bookmark places within a recording or online score for later use
- Export your bookmarks to a web page, from which you can link
directly to a spot in a recording or score
- View and annotate online scores
- Analyze musical form using "bubble diagrams" with the Timeliner
tool
- Select a measure number, and simultaneously listen to audio and
view the correct score page within the Opus Window
- Play audio over lower-bandwidth connections, e.g.,
56Kbps modems
- Search for music using IUCAT
Who can use Variations
Any IU Bloomington user with a valid IU Network ID can log into Variations, but for copyright reasons, you will be able to access audio and musical score content in Variations only if you are currently enrolled in a course that has been authorized for Variations access.
A course is authorized for Variations access if it has digitized recordings or scores on reserve in the Cook Music Library (see the current course reserves), or if the course's instructor has asked the Director of the Cook Music Library to authorize the class.
If you are not currently enrolled in any classes that have been authorized for Variations access, you may still access most recordings and scores in Variations from computers within the Cook Music Library.
For further details on Variations access policies, see Access Rules. If you have questions concerning access to Variations, you can ask Variations technical support.
Further information
For more, visit the Variations web site.
Last modified on March 13, 2012.







