The document discusses research on identifying successful algorithms for measuring melodic similarity that can be used in music information retrieval applications. It describes a listening experiment conducted with 34 subjects to rate the similarity of melodic variations on a theme. Correlation analysis was used to check the consistency of subject ratings. Two main algorithms are discussed that measure melodic similarity based on pitch differences between notes over time windows, with weights applied based on duration or metrical stress. The researchers are analyzing the results to determine which musical features lead to the most accurate algorithms according to human similarity judgments.

1. Identifying Successful Melodic Similarity Algorithms for use in Music Retrieval Margaret Cahill Donncha Ó Maidín University of Limerick, Ireland. [email_address]

9. Theme Figure 1: The first 2 bars of the Theme and Variations

13. The Algorithms where: k = the time windows of the score p 1 , p 2 = pitch values of the first and second melodies in a window w k = the weight associated with that time window totaldur = the duration processed Figure 2: Algorithm - Ó Maidín 1998