Recurrent Neural Networks for Music Computation

• Published in: INFORMS journal on computing 2006-06, Vol.18 (3), p.321-338
• Main Author: Franklin, Judy A
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: computer music; Forecasts and trends; LSTM; Music; music representation; Neural networks; recurrent neural networks; Recursion theory; Studies; Study and teaching
• ISSN: 1091-9856; 1526-5528; 1091-9856
• DOI: 10.1287/ijoc.1050.0131

Some researchers in the computational sciences have considered music computation, including music reproduction and generation, as a dynamic system, i.e., a feedback process. The key element is that the state of the musical system depends on a history of past states. Recurrent (neural) networks have been deployed as models for learning musical processes. We first present a tutorial discussion of recurrent networks, covering those that have been used for music learning. Following this, we examine a thread of development of these recurrent networks for music computation that shows how more intricate music has been learned as the state of the art in recurrent networks improves. We present our findings that show that a long short-term memory recurrent network, with new representations that include music knowledge, can learn musical tasks, and can learn to reproduce long songs. Then, given a reharmonization of the chordal structure, it can generate an improvisation.