Function-based and circuit-based symbolic music representation, or back to Beethoven

Abstract

In this paper authors make an attempt to rediscover the function-based music representation. Both for automated and manual music analysis, functional way to represent music has some advantages comparing to widely used approaches based on graph, geometric shapes or event-set models, namely: possibility to represent the structure of the music composition, ability to use proper concepts and terms in regards to the musicology, and good visual expression of the music structure with use of functional flow block diagrams. The formal model of function-based music representation together with an example of constructing a functional basis is introduced. Some music function transformation procedures are described and analyzed.