Human and Computation-based Music Representation for Gamelan Music

Abstract

A public database containing representative data of karawitan traditional music is needed as a resource for researchers who study computer music and karawitan. To establish this database, a text-based pitch model for music representation that is both human and computer-based was first investigated. A new model of musical representation that can be read by humans and computers is proposed to support music and computer research on karawitan also known as gamelan music. The model is expected to serve as the initial effort to establish a public database of karawitan music representation data. The proposed model was inspired by Helmholtz Notation and Scientific Pitch Notation and well-established, text-based pitch representation systems. The model was developed not only for pitch number, high or low or middle pitch information (octave information), but for musical elements found in gamelan sheet music pieces that include pitch value and legato signs. The model was named Gendhing Scientific Pitch Notation (GSPN). Ghending is a Javanese word that means “song”. The GSPN model was designed to represent music by formulating musical elements from a sheet music piece. Furthermore, the model can automatically be converted to other music representation formats. In the experiment, data in the GSPN format was implemented to automatically convert sheet music to a binary code with localist representation technique.