Regular expressions as violin bowing patterns

Hall, C. and O'Donnell, J.T. (2012) Regular expressions as violin bowing patterns. Computer Music Journal, 36(2), pp. 74-84. (doi: 10.1162/COMJ_a_00120)

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Abstract

String players spend a significant amount of practice time creating and learning bowings. These may be indicated in the music using up-bow and down-bow symbols, but those traditional notations do not capture the complex bowing patterns that are latent within the music. Regular expressions, a mathematical notation for a simple class of formal languages, can describe precisely the bowing patterns that commonly arise in string music. A software tool based on regular expressions enables performers to search for passages that can be handled with similar bowings, and to edit them consistently. A computer-based music editor incorporating bowing patterns has been implemented, using Lilypond to typeset the music. Our approach has been evaluated by using the editor to study ten movements from six violin sonatas by W. A. Mozart. Our experience shows that the editor is successful at finding passages and inserting bowings; that relatively complex patterns occur a number of times; and that the bowings can be inserted automatically and consistently.

Item Type:Articles
Status:Published
Refereed:Yes
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:O'Donnell, Dr John and Hall, Dr Cordelia
Authors: Hall, C., and O'Donnell, J.T.
Subjects:M Music and Books on Music > M Music
Q Science > QA Mathematics > QA76 Computer software
College/School:College of Science and Engineering > School of Computing Science
Research Group:ENDS
Journal Name:Computer Music Journal
Journal Abbr.:CMJ
Publisher:Massachusetts Institute of Technology
ISSN:0148-9267
ISSN (Online):1531-5169
Published Online:14 May 2012
Copyright Holders:Copyright © 2012 Massachusetts Institute of Technology
First Published:First published in Computer Music Journal 36(2):74-84
Publisher Policy:Reproduced in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher

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