Some observations on autocorrelated patterns within computational meter identification

Abstract

The computational approach of autocorrelation relies on recurrent patterns within a musical signal to identify and analyze the meter of musical passages. This paper suggests that the autocorrelation process can act as a computational proxy for the act of period extraction, a crucial aspect of the cognition of musical meter, by identifying periodicities with which similar events tend to occur within a musical signal. Three analytical vignettes highlight three aspects of the identified patterns: (1) that the similarities between manifestations of the same patterns are often inexact, (2) that these patterns have ambiguous boundaries, and (3) that many more patterns exist on the musical surface than contribute to the passage's notated/felt meter, each of which overlaps with observations from music theory and behavioral research. An Online Supplement at chriswmwhite.com/autocorrelation contains accompanying data.