A computational exploration of melodic patterns in Arab-Andalusian music. Issue 2 (4th May 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Nuttall, Thomas; Casado, Miguel G.; Ferraro, Andres; Conklin, Darrell; Caro Repetto, Rafael
• Is Part Of: Journal of mathematics and music. Volume 15:Issue 2(2021)
• Page Start: 168
• Page End: 180
• Publication Date: 2021-05-04
• Subjects: computational musicology -- pattern discovery -- centonization -- exploratory -- Arab-Andalusian; Music theory -- Periodicals; Music -- Mathematical models -- Periodicals; Music -- Mathematics -- Periodicals; 781.2
• DOI: 10.1080/17459737.2021.1917010
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1745-9737

Abstract

Abstract : Here we present a computational approach to identifying melodic patterns in a dataset of 145 MusicXML scores with the aim of contributing to centonization theory in the Moroccan tradition of Arab-Andalusian Music – a theory in development by expert performer and researcher of this tradition, Amin Chaachoo. Central to his work is the definition of a set of characteristic patterns, or centos, for each ṭab', or melodic mode. We apply three methods: TF-IDF, Maximally General Distinctive Patterns (MGDP) and the Structure Induction Algorithm (SIA) to identify characteristic patterns at the level of ṭab' . A substantial number of the centos proposed by Chaachoo are identified and new melodic patterns are retrieved. A discussion with Chaachoo about the obtained results promoted the elicitation of other categories of recurrent patterns in the tradition different from the centos, contributing to a deeper musicological knowledge of the tradition.