Discography Abbreviations

General Information: In all of the discographies, personnel exceptions are listed only as actual appearances and never as omissions. So, for example, if John Doe performs on trumpet on all of eight tracks of a session except for flugelhorn on the fifth track (track e), the assignments will read: John Doe (t) on (a-d), f-h; (fh) on e. If he performs on trumpet on all tracks and additionally flugelhorn on the fifth track, the assignments will read: John Doe (fh) on e.

Personnel (including subject artists) participating only as arranger on a session will be found in the discographies. Arrangers are not listed with the rest of the personnel but rather, in the song title line, after composers.

Session takes are assumed to be masters unless otherwise denoted:
alt = alternate
inc = incomplete
reh = rehearsal
bd = breakdown

Issues are listed first by format and then by release date. Within a format, issues with unknown release dates are shown AFTER the most recent of the dated ones. The format order is as follows:
78
Electrical Transcription
45
EP
LP 10 inch
LP 12 inch
Tape – reel
Tape – cassette
Videotape
CD
DVD
Digital Download

Digital downloads are a new format and conventions for listing them in discographies have yet to be established. One problem with them that should be noted is the lack of catalog numbers. For the time being, I am not including digital downloads that are identical to existing issues with regards to label, title and content. My main source for issues in this format is the iTunes Store. Note as of October 2017: I am no longer including digital downloads because of their ephemeral nature, probably a result of licensing restrictions.

Country Abbreviations (record label):
Arg. = Argentina
Aus. = Australia
Belg. = Belgium
Bra. = Brazil
Can. = Canada
Croat. = Croatia
Dan. = Denmark
Du. = The Netherlands, Holland
Eng. = Britain, United Kingdom
Eu. = European
Fi. or Fin. = Finland
Fr. = France
Ger. = Germany
Gr. = Greece
Hung. = Hungary
It. = Italy
Jpn. = Japan
Mex. = Mexico
Nor. = Norway
Pol. = Poland
Port. = Portugal
Ru. or Russ. = Russia
S. Afr. = South Africa
S. Kor. = South Korea
Sp. = Spain
Swd. = Sweden
Swi. = Switzerland
Ven. = Venezuela
Yug. = Yugoslavia

Austria, Czech Republic, Ireland not abbreviated

Instrument List By Alphabetic Order

acc Accordion
acg Acoustic Guitar
af Alto Flute
ah Alto Horn
as Alto Sax
arr Arranger
ban Bandoneon
bj Banjo
bh Baritone Horn
bar Baritone Sax
b Bass (upright double bass)
bcl Bass Clarinet
bf Bass flute
bg Bass Guitar
bsx Bass Sax
btb Bass Trombone
btp Bass trumpet
bsn Bassoon
bel Bells/Glockenspiel
bo Bongos
cel Celeste
chm Chimes
cl Clarinet
clv Clavinet
con Conductor
cng Congas
cbn Contrabassoon
c Cornet
dir Director
d Drums (set)
eb Electric Bass
elp Electric Piano
enh English horn
eu Euphonium
fh Flugelhorn
flp Flumpet (flugelhorn-trumpet hybrid)
f Flute
frh French Horn
glk Glockenspiel
g Guitar (electric or amplified)
hag Hag’houge
h Harmonica
hrp Harp
hps Harpsichord
kal Kalimba
kar Karkaba
key Keyboards
kor Kora
ldr Leader
md Mandolin
mnz Manzello
mar Marimba
mel Mellophone
mca Melodica
o Oboe
or Organ (Hammond type)
oud Oud
per Percussion
p Piano
pic Piccolo
pt Piccolo Trumpet
pip Pipa
rec Recorder
r Reeds
sax Sax
sit Sitar
sns Sopranino Sax
ss Soprano Sax
spk Speaking
sp Steel Pan
str Strings
syn Synclavier
snt Synthesizer
tam Tamborine
tap Tap Dancer
th Tenor Horn
ts Tenor Sax
tim Timbales
tmp Timpani
tw Tin Whistle
tri Triangle
tb Trombone
t Trumpet
tu Tuba
vtb Valve Trombone
var Various Instruments
vib Vibraphone
vl Viola
vn Violin
vc Violoncello
v Vocalist
bkv Vocals
wb Washboard
w Whistling
ww Woodwinds
xal Xalam
x Xylophone

Instrument List By Sort Order

ldr Leader
t Trumpet
pt Piccolo Trumpet
flp Flumpet (flugelhorn-trumpet hybrid)
fh Flugelhorn
c Cornet
btp Bass trumpet
tb Trombone
vtb Valve Trombone
btb Bass Trombone
mel Mellophone
frh French Horn
tu Tuba
ah Alto Horn
th Tenor Horn
bh Baritone Horn
eu Euphonium
mca Melodica
h Harmonica
r Reeds
ww Woodwinds
sax Sax
sns Sopranino Sax
ss Soprano Sax
as Alto Sax
mnz Manzello
ts Tenor Sax
bar Baritone Sax
bsx Bass Sax
cl Clarinet
bcl Bass Clarinet
pic Piccolo
f Flute
af Alto Flute
bf Bass flute
rec Recorder
o Oboe
enh English horn
bsn Bassoon
cbn Contrabassoon
str Strings
vn Violin
vl Viola
vc Violoncello
hrp Harp
kor Kora
vib Vibraphone
mar Marimba
x Xylophone
chm Chimes
sp Steel Pan
g Guitar (electric or amplified)
bg Bass Guitar
sit Sitar
oud Oud
xal Xalam
pip Pipa
hag Hag’houge
acg Acoustic Guitar
bj Banjo
md Mandolin
kal Kalimba
key Keyboards
p Piano
elp Electric Piano
clv Clavinet
cel Celeste
hps Harpsichord
snt Synthesizer
or Organ (Hammond type)
acc Accordion
ban Bandoneon
b Bass (upright double bass)
eb Electric Bass
d Drums (set)
per Percussion
bo Bongos
cng Congas
tim Timbales
tmp Timpani
tri Triangle
tam Tamborine
kar Karkaba
bel Bells/Glockenspiel
glk Glockenspiel
tap Tap Dancer
syn Synclavier
tw Tin Whistle
w Whistling
wb Washboard
spk Speaking
bkv Vocals
dir Director
con Conductor
arr Arranger
v Vocalist
var Various Instruments