Towards Automated Processing of Folk Song Recordings

Folk music is closely related to the musical culture of a specific nation or region. Even though folk songs have been passed down mainly by oral tradition, most musicologists study the relation between folk songs on the basis of symbolic music descriptions, which are obtained by transcribing recorded tunes into a score-like representation. Due to the complexity of audio recordings, once having the transcriptions, the original recorded tunes are often no longer used in the actual folk song research even though they still may contain valuable information. In this paper, we present various techniques for making audio recordings more easily accessible for music researchers. In particular, we show how one can use synchronization techniques to automatically segment and annotate the recorded songs. The processed audio recordings can then be made accessible along with a symbolic transcript by means of suitable visualization, searching, and navigation interfaces to assist folk song researchers to conduct large scale investigations comprising the audio material

Real-Time Audio-to-Score Alignment of Music Performances Containing Errors and Arbitrary Repeats and Skips

This paper discusses real-time alignment of audio signals of music performance to the corresponding score (a.k.a. score following) which can handle tempo changes, errors and arbitrary repeats and/or skips (repeats/skips) in performances. This type of score following is particularly useful in automatic accompaniment for practices and rehearsals, where errors and repeats/skips are often made. Simple extensions of the algorithms previously proposed in the literature are not applicable in these situations for scores of practical length due to the problem of large computational complexity. To cope with this problem, we present two hidden Markov models of monophonic performance with errors and arbitrary repeats/skips, and derive efficient score-following algorithms with an assumption that the prior probability distributions of score positions before and after repeats/skips are independent from each other. We confirmed real-time operation of the algorithms with music scores of practical length (around 10000 notes) on a modern laptop and their tracking ability to the input performance within 0.7 s on average after repeats/skips in clarinet performance data. Further improvements and extension for polyphonic signals are also discussed.Comment: 12 pages, 8 figures, version accepted in IEEE/ACM Transactions on Audio, Speech, and Language Processin

Performance Practice Bibliography (1995-1996)

Bibliography of articles published in the field of Historical Performance Practices during 1995-1996

A flauta explodida de Arthur Kampela : um guia interpretativo para Elastics II e Happy Days

Orientador: Silvio Ferraz Mello FilhoTese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de ArtesResumo: Esta tese tem como enfoque as obras Elastics II (para flauta, violão e eletrônica) e Happy Days (para flauta e sons eletrônicos), do compositor brasileiro Arthur Kampela. A tese inclui uma visão geral das composições de Kampela para flauta e aborda vários aspectos de seu estilo e filosofia, da maneira evidenciada em Elastics II e Happy Days, considerando principalmente aspectos interpretativos de sua composição. O objetivo principal desta tese é promover a execução dessas importantes obras do repertório brasileiro para flauta solo. Talvez pela música de Kampela ser extremamente difícil e idiossincrática, ela não é executada tão frequentemente quanto merece. Para esse propósito, a tese inclui um guia detalhado de execução e uma análise das técnicas expandidas e da notação rítmica variada específicas da escrita de Kampela para flauta. Na intenção de ajudar os flautistas com a preparação de Happy Days, foi preparada uma edição digitalizada com dedilhados e conselhos técnicosAbstract: This thesis focuses on the works Elastics II for flute, guitar and electronics and Happy Days for flute and electronic sounds by the Brazilian composer Arthur Kampela. The thesis includes a general overview of Kampela's flute works and discusses various aspects of the composer's philosophy and style as evidenced in Elastics II and Happy Days, considering above all the interpretive aspect of his composition. The ultimate goal of this study is to encourage performance of these important contemporary Brazilian solo flute works. Because Arthur Kampela¿s music is extremely difficult and idiosyncratic, it is not performed as often as it deserves. To this aim, the study includes a detailed performance guide and analysis of the extended techniques and varied rhythmic notation specific to Kampela¿s flute writing. In an effort to assist flutists with their preparation of Happy Days, a digitalized performance edition with suggested fingerings and other advice has been prepared and includedDoutoradoMúsica, Teoria, Criação e PráticaDoutora em Músic

Talk on Musical Interpretation — Visual Tools for Perceived Dynamics and Points of Gravity

Typical for Western classical music is the process of interpreting and conveying a written score into sounding music. However, sometimes the communication of musical issues between musicians may be experienced as aggravating. In educational contexts in a broad sense, it might be advantageous if this communication could be facilitated, for example, by using visual illustrations as a complement to the verbal language. The final aim of the present PhD project is to introduce a further investigation of the relationship between what musicians do when performing classical compositions and how the music will be experienced by listeners familiar with this kind of music. As an indispensable preparative step for this purpose, based on established conventions of melody phrasing, two special visual tools were developed: the Melody Phrasing Curve and a system for notating metrical points of gravity. In two empirical studies, the relevancy of these visual tools, intended to simplify the communication of matters linked to musical interpretation, was tested. This purpose includes the exploration of musical thoughts coming up when the tools are employed by professional musicians as instruments for illustrating their musical experiences. The Melody Phrasing Curve is a continuous line that is drawn by free hand into a special device indicating approximately the experienced dynamical fluctuations within the melody part of a composition. In the two phases of Study A, this phrasing curve was tested from the perspective of music professors listening to classical piano excerpts recorded on audio tape. The results indicate that the visual tool mentioned might be used as an instrument for illustrating the experienced changing dynamics of the melody part, primarily in piano music of a clear homophonic character. In the consecutive Study B, the other visual tool, the system for notating metrical points of gravity, was introduced. This tool was used by four professional musicians, together with the Melody Phrasing Curve, as an aid when preparing performances of three classical piano excerpts, as well as for the purpose of visually illustrating musical aspects of their recorded performances. The study included in-depth-interviews revealing some of the participants’ musical ideas. The results revealed that the participants respected the traditions of classical music, but they were also interested in further exploring the expressive potential of the music, in order to find new interpretative solutions. Moreover, the results indicate that the visual tools employed might be used in educational contexts as triggers for activating musicians’ self-reflection and for developing a bigger awareness when interpreting classical music. Aside from the participants’ diverging drawing styles, the results further support the functionality of the Melody Phrasing Curve as a visual tool for mirroring the experienced dynamical progression of the melody part. Finally, the phrasing curve may be used for the purpose of planning musical interpretations, as well as for illustrating a given performance

Bach on marimba : a case study using the violin sonata in A minor (BWV 1003)

Transcribing works from the violin repertoire for marimba presents a series of technical issues, which must be addressed before the work can be successfully performed on marimba. This dissertation focuses on addressing the main issues that arise in this transcription process, using Bach’s A minor violin sonata (BWV 1003) as a case study. The main areas of investigation are (i) articulation, (ii) arpeggiation, (iii) possibilities for harmonic expansion, and (iv) sustain. Within each of these four topics, discussion is made into a selection of techniques available to the marimbist in the search for a performance style that is both historically informed and idiomatic to the instrument

Computational Models of Expressive Music Performance: A Comprehensive and Critical Review

Expressive performance is an indispensable part of music making. When playing a piece, expert performers shape various parameters (tempo, timing, dynamics, intonation, articulation, etc.) in ways that are not prescribed by the notated score, in this way producing an expressive rendition that brings out dramatic, affective, and emotional qualities that may engage and affect the listeners. Given the central importance of this skill for many kinds of music, expressive performance has become an important research topic for disciplines like musicology, music psychology, etc. This paper focuses on a specific thread of research: work on computational music performance models. Computational models are attempts at codifying hypotheses about expressive performance in terms of mathematical formulas or computer programs, so that they can be evaluated in systematic and quantitative ways. Such models can serve at least two purposes: they permit us to systematically study certain hypotheses regarding performance; and they can be used as tools to generate automated or semi-automated performances, in artistic or educational contexts. The present article presents an up-to-date overview of the state of the art in this domain. We explore recent trends in the field, such as a strong focus on data-driven (machine learning) approaches; a growing interest in interactive expressive systems, such as conductor simulators and automatic accompaniment systems; and an increased interest in exploring cognitively plausible features and models. We provide an in-depth discussion of several important design choices in such computer models, and discuss a crucial (and still largely unsolved) problem that is hindering systematic progress: the question of how to evaluate such models in scientifically and musically meaningful ways. From all this, we finally derive some research directions that should be pursued with priority, in order to advance the field and our understanding of expressive music performance