Melodic Structure and Note Transition Probabilities: A Content Analysis of 15,618 Classical Themes

Abstract

A content analytical scheme is described that can assess aspects of melodic structure in large samples of themes. This objective, computerised system was applied to 15,618 themes drawn from the classical repertoire. Tables result that give the probabilities of twoand three-note transitions, and, in the former case, the probabilities are presented both transition-by-transition and averaged across all transitions. Despite the simplicity of the coding system, it has been shown in past research to be powerful enough to distinguish the musical style of a composer and to yield a measure of melodic originality that relates in significant ways with other aesthetic, biographical and historical variables. To illustrate this utility, the table of two-note transition probabilities is employed both to gauge the melodic originality of a sample set of composed themes and to generate contrived themes with known originality scores for use in laboratory experiments on musical aesthetics.