Structural Analysis of Large Amounts of Music Information (SALAMI)

Time Frame

2010-2013

Total Funding to Date

$99,476.00

Investigator

  • J. Stephen Downie

Structural analysis of music (formal analysis) is one of the most fundamental analyses performed by music researchers, usually preceding any other types of analysis because it provides the overall view of the piece. Its importance is reflected by the fact that the course on formal analysis is often one of the core music undergraduate music curricula with several major textbooks on the subject. The main goal of formal analysis is to find similar sections within a piece of music and labeling these section such as, ABA and ABCB'A or with further analysis these sections can be marked with predefined labels such as Intro, Verse, Verse, Bridge, Chorus, Verse, and Outro (popular music) or Introduction, Exposition, Development, Recapitulation, and Coda (sonata form). Thus, the formal analysis is useful in classifying different genres of music and it can be used to compare different styles of composition within a composer’s works or between composers. It can also be used to understand historical influences over time and location. By analyzing large sets of music, new discoveries can be made about these questions.

Funding Agencies

  • National Science Foundation, 2010 – $99,476.00