Contour Recursion and Auto-Segmentation

Abstract

Contour recursion,a pattern of ups and downs found at multiple indices in an ordinal pitch series, is proposed as a basis for melodic segmentation and a computational method. The continuous C+ matrix (CONTCOM) is introduced with a moving window of degrees of adjacency that accommodates analysis of unsegmented pitch series. CONTCOM converts an ordinal pitch series into contour slices in an abstraction of pitch space that uses contour levels instead of contour pitches. Using a CONTCOM, an algorithm implemented in MATLAB searches for recursive patterns, recognizes transformations, and compares segments of different cardinalities. An analysis of Schoenberg’s op. 19, no. 4 is offered as a demonstration of these methods.