Class 4 Video: Intro to Scores and Music Representation
Computational music theory and analysis falls under the broader spectrum of “computational musicology” (where musicology is in its broadest sense the study of music). In a landmark article on the topic, Nicholas Cook lays out his view of what might be done with computational musicology, why it hasn’t been adopted widely, and what might be done with it. The article is from 2004, but it is still true.
Reading: Nicholas Cook, “Computational and Comparative Musicology,” in Empirical Musicology: Aims, Methods, Prospects (ed. Eric Clarke and Nicholas Cook), Oxford University Press, 2004, pp. 103-126. ISBN: 9780195167504. [Preview with Google Books]
First, read the article. Watch the next (optional) video for strategies on how to read an academic article.
Discussion questions for the Cook reading:
- What does comparative musicology have to do with computational musicology?
- What does Cook mean by “there is no such thing as a good or bad representation of music per se?”
- What is Humdrum?
- What are some differences between the EsAC (Essen code) and Kern?
- This article was written around 2002 and published in 2004. That’s an eternity ago in the computer world! What are some concerns that Cook has that might be ridiculous today? And yet this is an early assignment in the class, so I think it’s still relevant. What still hasn’t been solved yet?
Cook refers to two pieces of music in some depth in the article that you might not be familiar with:
- György Ligeti, Lux Aeterna (you may recognize this piece from the film 2001: A Space Odyssey)
- Bela Bartók, String Quartet no. 4, movement 1
If you’ve never read an academic article or you’re struggling with how to get through the Cook reading, watch this video on how I approach new and daunting articles:
Video 4a: How to Read an Academic Article
This is an introduction/review of some further issues in music representation:
