Describing Melodic Structure Using a <i>MusicTracker</i> — Issues in Notation Andsound

This paper describes preliminary research towards the development of a system that can be used to investigate the mechanisms and representations underlying segmentation and phrase structure in music. It discusses the use of rules and principles in The Generative Theory of Tonal Music (Lerdahl and Jackendoff, 1983) and Implication Realization Model (Narmour, 1990). It also discusses the limitations of score notation as the basis for analysis and modelling of melodic segmentation, with reference to the problems associated withtranscribing non-Western music that uses different scales and exploits different organisations of melodic descriptors. This discussion provides a rationale for a methodology thatcan be applied to recorded music rather than notation. It describes MusicTracker — a toolthat extracts measures of change in pitch, dynamics and timbre fromrecordings of monophonic melodies. The use of this tool is illustrated with short fragments of musicfrom Japan, Burundi and Gabon.