Language of Music

By Travis Supalla

Overview

• Introduction• Musical Notation/Correlation to Language• Music and Computers• Markov Models• References

Introduction

Music is universally known. It is one of the earliest forms of communication. Allowing people to show emotions, convey messages, or entertain others. Using models, composers, musicologists, or music aficionados can develop new ways to look at music or even create their own.

Musical Notation

Musical Notation FSM

Music and Computers

• Early Composition– Musical Dice• (11^16) * (6^16) = (1.3 * (10^29)) possible

compositions

• Advent of Computers– Sophistication– Higher Order Models

Music and Computers cont’d

• Tools– MUSICCOMP

• Music is representation

Markov Models

• M = (K, , A)– K is a finite set of states– is a vector that contains the initial probabilities

of each of the states– A is a matrix that represents the transition

probabilities A[p,q]

Markov Models cont’d

• Use of the models– Model performance of complex systems– Music composition– To describe naturally occurring processes

• Hidden Markov Model• Also a NDFSM that is used in analyzing a system.

Markov Models and Music

• Used to predict other lines corresponding to relationships between a note and one coinciding with it.

• The states and transitions describe the music as it should be written.

• The output probabilities describe each way a note can be performed.

References

• Rich, Elaine. Automata, Computability and Complexity Theory and Applications. Upper Saddle River (N. J.): Pearson Prentice Hall, 2008. Print.

• "Mozart's Musikalisches Würfelspiel." SunSITE Austria: Math, Stats & Science Education. Web. 27 Apr. 2010. <http://sunsite.univie.ac.at/Mozart/dice/>.

• Visell, Yon. "Spontaneous Organisation, Pattern Models, and Music." Organised Sound 9.2 (2004): 151-65. Print.