Although your initial search fails to produce the listings you wanted, does not mean that they are not there. The ProMusicFind.Com search engine is capable of producing results utilizing the techniques listed below. Before giving up, try these to probe further and make your searches more efficient.

Above All Else. Don't be afraid to make a mistake and try over! Keep in mind that the sophisticated nature of this system may require that you try a variety of searches before you have exhausted all the available data.

Just When You Thought You Didn't Have To Worry About Spelling Anymore. That's right, spelling counts! Our search engine is programmed to look for exactly what you entered. So, if you're looking for The Beatles, Abbey Road, Record/LP, but type in Beatels, it will not be found.

Sometimes Less is More. Go from a very specific search to a broader search. If you have focused your search for a particular item by filling out the entire search criteria form and were unsuccessful in your search, try putting less information in the search form

Example: You are looking for an Armstrong Flute, you have entered the model number, and in the "specialty feature" field you entered - open hole, silver plated, gold mouthpiece. This search fails to produce listings. Don't despair. The power of the ProMusicFind.Com search engine can locate this specific item; however, the dealer selling this Model Number, Armstrong Flute may not have been as specific in his description. So, be less specific. Try a search for Flute, Armstrong and Model only.
Example: When using the Instrument/Equipment search form if you put "guitar" in the Instrument/Equipment field and choose "used" you will get a search result of all the used guitars in the system.

Find It All With One Command. When using the record, CD or music, video, book search form if you put a keyword in the "Other Search Criteria" field (like - Video, Record, CD, Instruction, Tablature, etc.) and click search, a listing of all the items that contain that keyword will be displayed. If you do not add anything else to the search form then you will see all of the listing for the keyword you used. Remember that the search engine works on keywords. So, if you put "45" in "Other Search Criteria", then you may see an item come up with 45 in the label number. Sorry for this - but its the power of the search engine.

Find A Little Bit Less With Two Commands. When using the record, CD or music, video, book search form if you put a name in the "Artist/Composer/Author" field and a keyword or keywords in the "Other Search Criteria" (like - record, CD, video, sheet music, book, etc.), a listing of the Artist, Composer or Author that contain the keyword or keywords you used will be displayed.

Suggested Keywords to help you find the item you want:

Apparel Audiophile 45 8 Track 7" 78 12" Book CD Single Cassette CD CD-ROM Compilation DVD EP Grab Bag Instruction

Lead-Sheet Magazine Method Music Band Music Choral Music Ensemble Music Orchestra Music Poster Record/LP Reference Score Sheet Music Tablature Transcriptions Video

Sometimes More is Less. But, you just told me . . . Don't worry about it. Be really specific and find what you really want.

Example: You are looking for a 1958, black, Les Paul, with a black pick guard Gibson guitar. Put all this information into the search form. If this guitar is in the system, it will be found. But, if you want more, try leaving out black, pick guard. And, even more, try leaving out black for color. You get the picture!

Forget the Spelling of That Favorite Artist's Name? No Problem. If you can't remember if Mozart is spelled with one "t" or two, put an ( * ) towards the end. Like this, Mozar*. Does Zappa have one "p" or two? Who cares. Try this, Zap*.

You can also use the asterisk at the end of a keyword. Suppose you want to search for Instructional Videos or Books. Some of our dealers may have listed their items as Video Instruction and Book Instruction. To insure a full search results of all items that have to do with instruction use an asterisk (*) after instruct. Example: Instruct*.

Never use "A", "The", or "And". Our search engine is programmed to ignore them.

In Run On Sentences Periods Are Good, But Not Here. The search engine is adverse to periods and you should leave them out. R.E.M or K.D. Lang will find nothing. But, R E M and K D Lang will find all the listings for these artists' works in the database.

Sometimes Hyphens Are Good. Here they are not. Avoid using hyphens or dashes in your query.

Use the Singular, Man. Use the Singular. On the Instrument/Equipment search form you need to use the singular form of the type of item you are looking for. For example, guitar vs. guitars, effect vs. effects, effect processor vs. effects processors, violin vs. violins, drum vs. drums. You get the picture.

Remember, if at first you don't succeed, try try again.