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A system generating jazz-style chord sequences for solo piano

Junko WATANABE,*1 Kaori WATANABE,*2 Norio EMURA,#1 Masanobu MIURA,#2 and Masuzo YANAGIDA*3
*

Doshisha University, Japan

Ryukoku University, Japan

*1

*2
dti0774@mail4.doshisha.ac.jp,
dth0749@mail4.doshisha.ac.jp, #1norio.emura@gmail.com,
#2
miura@rins.ryukoku.ac.jp, *3myanagid@mail.doshisha.ac.jp

ABSTRACT
In composition and arrangement of tonal music, it is important to give
appropriate harmony to a given set of melody and its chord name
sequence, though that is a tough task for non-professionals. Then there
are a lot of research works and commercially available systems, such
as systems for automatic arrangement of music pieces given as note
sequences for solo pianos into a piano score in a specific style. These
systems, however, are usually designed to generate music by
concatenation of existing arrangement patterns. Such systems can not
meet user requirements. This paper proposes a system that generates
jazz-style chord sequences taking the structure of the input set of
melody and chord name sequence into account reflecting user
requirements. The system is implemented in an integrated modular
structure based on the classical theory of harmony and several jazz
arrangement techniques described in Jazz theory.
The performance of the proposed system is evaluated by comparing
the results given by the proposed system with those given by a popular
arrangement system available on the market. Experimental results
show that the proposed system yields more preferable outputs then a
commercial system available on the market.

I.

INTRODUCTION

Music treated in this study, or more specifically, popular


music defined within a framework of tonal music is formed
with melody and harmony. It is important to give appropriate
harmony to a given set of melody and its chord name sequence,
though that is a tough task for non-professionals because it
requires skills and experiences in music.
Then there are a lot of research works and commercially
available systems that arrange music pieces into a piano score
in a specific style. Ebcioglu (K.Ebcioglu,1992) proposes a
system named CHORAL that gives harmony for the melody
of choral (a hymn consisting of four voice parts) composed by
Johann Sebastian Bach. CHORAL is an expert system that has
approximately 350 rules based on the classical theory of
harmony. This system gives harmony and generates each voice
part through interaction of elementary functions such as
analysis of harmonic structure, chord generation and Schenker
-style voice leading. The system intends Bach-style
harmonization, introducing heuristics of musical features
characteristic to Bach besides ordinary musical knowledge.
On the other hand, Steedman (M.J.Steedman,1982)
investigates harmonic structure of jazz introducing substitution
rules for analyzing blues, usually consisting of 12 measures, as
the basis of jazz. Substitution rules consist of six rules
concerning alternative chords. This system, however, doesnt
mention harmonization as it is a system that conducts harmony
analysis of given sequence of chords, but not for chord
generation.

So, we have to mention research works by k, Hirata such as


Herbie-kun and Pa-pi-pun which deal both with analysis and
generation of Jazz. These research works indicate that it is
difficult to describe chord progression rules and musical
context from a view point of functional harmony, though case
study of existing music or musical performance is easy. His
research works state that it is possible to realize a framework of
inference control by structuring or classifying various cases.
These systems are designed to employ techniques of deductive
object-oriented database for representing musical knowledge
and case-based reasoning. These systems, however, assume
that high order information such as musical structure is given
by users, expecting that the users of the system have a certain
degree of expertise in music.
In addition, commercially available systems often arrange
music pieces by simply choosing music fragments from
existing arrangement patterns. It is impossible for those
systems to generate new arrangement patterns since any smart
note allocations that just fit the position do not exist in built-in
database. These systems, then, do not meet user requirements.
Assuming that the target users are those who have no technical
knowledge in music, we have implemented the classical theory
of harmony and several jazz arrangement techniques as an
integrated modular system. The current system introduced
three types of jazz arrangement techniques concerning note
allocation. These techniques are based on allocating notes
within an octave. Thus, the proposed system often yields
monotonous arrangements. In order to improve the situation,
the system introduces a method that uses broad registers.
This paper proposes a system that generates jazz-style chord
sequences taking the structure of the input set of melody and
chord name sequence into account reflecting user
requirements.

II.

A JAZZ-STYLE VOICING SYSTEM

A. Voicing
Voicing is chord assignment including note allocation for
each given chord name. The notes consisting a chord are called
chord tones, and the notes other than the chord tones are called
non chord tones. In popular music, non chord tones are
frequently used in chords as Tension notes keeping the
function of the chord as original; tension notes have intervals
of either 9th, 11th or 13th from the root note. Voicing that
employs notes other than chord tones, is called Tension
Voicing. Tension voicing is used in case tones having
rich-color or complex note allocations are required. There are
hundreds of various voicing patterns for each individual chord
name. Moreover, combination of voicing for a sequence of
chord names expands the combinatorial possibility.

By the reason mentioned above, Voicing is defined in the


current research, as note allocation satisfying appropriateness
of both vertical allocation and horizontal transition taking
musical context and realizability of performance into account
for a melody given with its chord name sequence. Fig. 1 shows
an example of appropriateness of vertical allocation for A7
and appropriateness of horizontal transition for the given chord
name sequence.
appropriateness of vertical allocation
Dm

A7

Em7b5

A7

Dm7

m7b5

m7

of freedom in choosing tension notes and note ranges of chord


tones, removing or moving some voice parts depending on
circumstances. As a result, 3) cannot uniquely decide note
allocation while 1) and 2) do. So we propose a voicing
technique that can take musical context into consideration
avoiding sudden change of register in chord transition
(Watanabe, et al.,2007). Figure. 2 shows an example of input
information: a melody and its chord name sequence. Figure. 3
(a), (b) and (c) are the resultant arrangements by the proposed
system for Fig. 2, using 4-way close voicing, Drop 2 voicing,
and Backing style voicing, respectively.
As described above, three types of voicing are implemented
in the proposed system. All these voicings are perceived as
close voicing though Drop voicing is classified into open
voicing but its sonority is close to Close voicing because
Drop voicing is based on 4-way close voicing. Thus, the
proposed system often yields monotonous outputs. In order to
improve the situation, Spread voicing is implemented in our
integrated modular system aiming at realizing real open
voicing that has broad and colorful sonority.

appropriateness of horizontal transition

Dm

A7

Em7b5

A7

Dm7

Fig. 1 An example of Voicing

B. A Variety of Voicing Techniques


Various voicing techniques characteristic to jazz are
described in Jazz theory. Voicing is classified into close
voicing and open voicing. Close voicing is a technique of
allocating four notes within an octave, while Open voicing is
a technique of allocating four notes spanning more than one
octave. Implemented in the current system as fundamental
techniques of close voicing are 4-way close voicing, drop
voicings and backing style voicing, briefly described
below.

Fig. 2. An example of input information: a melody and its chord


name sequence. (Beautiful Love by E.Van Alstyne)

(a) 4-way close voicing

1) 4-way close voicing


To allocate the melody note to the first or the top voice and
the chord tones to the lower three voices. The four notes,
including melody note, are allocated within an octave.
2) Drop voicing
Derived from 4-way close voicing, moving one or more
notes one octave below. The most common drop voicing is
Drop 2 voicing, which moves the second note counting from
the melody note one octave below.
3) Backing style voicing
Assigning the melody note to be played with the right hand
and other notes with the left hand. This style is frequently used
because it is easy to play as all the notes played with the left
hand are allocated within an octave. This type of voicing is
often used for chords having the 3rd and the 7th notes
combined with tension notes.
Both 1) and 2) are algorithmic voicings that determine note
allocation almost uniquely leaving little freedom, given the
musical structure expressed in the melody and harmonic
function, as these voicings are made synchronized to the
rhythm of the melody. On the contrary 3) has a certain degree

(b) Drop 2 voicing

(c) Backing style voicing


Fig. 3 Resultant arrangements for Fig. 2 by the three voicing
methods implemented in the proposed system.

III.

INTRODUCTION OF NEW VOICNIG


TECHNIQUE

A. Spread Voicing
Spread Voicing allocates five notes spanning more than one
octave assigning the root note at the bottom. This type of
voicing has broad register for note allocation spanning more
than one octave, so it can achieve more colorful sonority.
Voicing here means allocation of notes considering both
vertical structure related to chord sonority and horizontal or
temporal transition of each voice part.
Appropriateness of vertical allocation is assured by
observing the basic rules of voicing listed by Table 1, and
individual patterns aimed at expressing delicate nuance
depending on musical context for frequently-used chord type.
On the contrary, appropriateness of horizontal transition is
assured by following the same rules for Voice Leading and
Tension Resolve, both depicted in Fig. 5. Voice Leading
requires the 3rd and the 7th notes to move toward the note that
minimizes the difference in musical pitch among the 3rd and
the 7th notes in the next chord block to form motion of 5th
(going to the tonic tone by moving perfect fifth down or perfect
fourth up). Tension Resolve requires a tension note to move
toward the nearest chord tone or tension note in the next chord
in order not to lose harmonic function. These two requirements
lead smooth chord transition.
Spread Voicing requires difficult techniques because one
additional part is appended to ordinary voicings. Chords of
various register remain even after adopting the rules
mentioned above. Register change between succeeding
chords evokes sense of chord jump. Proposed here is a
method to avoid this chord jump to get smooth chord
transition. Figure 4 shows an example of Spread Voicing for
CM7.

Dm7

C m7

G7
7

CM7

9th
7th

Tension Resolve

5th
3rd

7th

Voice Leading

3rd

3rd

7th

Voice leading
Fig. 5 An example of Voice Leading and Tension Resolve

B. Definition of Inter-chord Voice Distance


Appropriateness of vertical allocation is guaranteed by note
allocation regulated in each chord. On the contrary
appropriateness of horizontal transition is guaranteed by Voice
Leading and Tension Resolve. The criterion to choose smooth
chord transition among possible voicings is defined as
Inter-chord voice distance Dv (i ) expressed by Eq. (1).

Dv (i ) means the sum of absolute transition distance of the


fives parts from i 1 th to i -th chord on the time axis.
5

Dv (i ) = Vi
j =1

where Vi

(i )

( j)

Vi 1

( j)

denotes the MIDI pitch code for j -th note in i -th

chord. We can expect that the chord transition that minimizes


Dv (i ) gives the most smooth chord sequence.
Figure 6 shows the procedure of Spread voicing, and Fig. 7
shows an example of the processing.

Table 1 Rules of Spread Voicing

first voice
second voice
third voice
fourth voice
Bottom Voice

rule 1
ua
ub
7th
3rd
root

rule 2
ua
ub
3rd
7th
root

rule 3
ua
7th
ub
3rd
root

rule 4
ua
3rd
ua
7th
root

appropriateness of vertical allocation


Enumerate voicing patterns for each chord type
adopting rules for Spread voicing
listing-up frequently-used chord patterns

u a , u b : A Tension note or the5th note


CM7

appropriateness of horizontal transition


Adopt rules concerning chords transition
Voice Leading
Tension Resolve

Evaluate Inter-chord Voice Distance

Fig.4 An example of Spread Voicing for CM7

(1)

Decide Spread voicing


Fig. 6 The procedure of Spread voicing

A7

Em7b5

A7

Dm7

Evaluators were asked to assess the arrangement of the


better between two scores produced by the two systems for
each music excerpt in seven grades concerning seven items,
then they were asked to assess the arrangement of the other
comparing with the better one. Table 3 shows the questionnaire
presented to evaluators.
Table 3. Questionnaire

Dm7

Gm7

C7

FM7

Fig. 7 Arrangement output by the proposed system using Spread


voicing.

IV.

PERFORMANCE EVALUATION

A. Outline of the experiment


Performance of the proposed system is compared with that
of a commercial system Band in a box by playing the outputs
on the piano for five music excerpts. Figure 8 shows output
arrangement by the commercial system.

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

question ID
questionnaire
Do you feel the sonority of the specified chord novel?
Do you feel chord transition of smooth?
Do you feel the sonority of chord wide?
Do you feel chord sequence of the entire music beautiful?
Do you feel the chord progression appropriate?
Do you feel the chord easy to play?
Do you feel chord sequence jazzy?
Rate the arrangement on a scale 1 to 10.

B. Experimental results
Figure 9 shows the average and standard deviation of the
evaluation score for each questionnaire. Shaded and gray solid
bars represent results of arrangement by the proposed system
and Band in a box, respectively.
Results of two factor covariance analysis show the principal
effect on systems ( F (1,111) = 23,21( p < .01) ), but no principal
effect on questionnaire nor cross-effects between any two
factors. This result shows that the proposed system is
significantly superior to the commercial system regardless of
question items, so the proposed system was confirmed to be
more effective than the commercially sold system.

b) task
Five jazz standards are employed as test stimuli. In order to
make subjective judgment easy, all stimuli were made consist
of eight measures. The music excerpts employed in the
experiment are listed in Table 2. Stimuli are prepared by the
following procedures. Melodies and their chord name
sequences of the five jazz standards were fed to both the
commercial system and the proposed system, and the output
arrangements by both the systems were obtained as standard
MIDI files.

average evaluation point

2.5

a) Evaluators
Evaluators are eight (two male and six female players)
having experience in playing the piano for eight to twenty
years.

Proposed system
Band in a box

2
1.5
1
0.5
0
1

-0.5
-1

questionnaire ID

Fig 9. Average and standard deviation of evaluation score for


each questionnaire.

Table 2. Music used in the experiment


title
Beautiful Love
Danny Boy
Ill close my eyes
Autumn Leaves
Someday My Prince Will Come

composer
E.Van Alstyne
Old Irish Air
Billie Reid
Josepf Kosma
Frank Churchill

c) Assessment procedure
Outputs were presented in score form to the evaluators, and
they were asked to play the score on the acoustic piano.

CONCLUSIONS
Spread voicing is implemented in a modular structured
system for arrangement. The proposed system introduces a
method of taking smooth chord transition as the means to
choose the optimum voicing questionnaire techuque.
Experimental results show that the proposed system yields
more preferable outputs than a popular system available on the
market. However, implemented are modules only for three
types of voicings. Modules for other voicings, such as Upper

Structure Triad and Super-imposed Chord are under


construction, and will be discussed in the near future.

Fig. 8 Arrangement output by the commercial system

ACKNOWLEDGMENT
This work has been supported by Grant-in-Aid for Scientific
Research(No.195373), the High-tech Research Center
promoted by Ryukoku University, and Ryukoku University
Science and Technology fund.

REFERENCES
Band in a box ver.13 (2004). PG Music, Co.
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Emura, N. et al. (2006). Machine Arrangement in Morden Jazz-style
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Conference on Music Perception and Cognition (pp. 710-715).
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Hirata, K. et al. (1996). Herbie-kun: A Jazz Chord Reharmonizer in a
Deductive Object-oriented Framework. Tech. Rep. of IPSJ,
96-MUS-16 (pp. 33-38).
Hirata, K. et al. (2001). Pa-pi-pun: Creativity -Support Tool for
Generating Jazz Harmony. Information Processing Society of
Japan Journal, 42, No. 3, 633-641.
Kotani, N. (2003). The Jazz piano. Tokyo, Japan: RittorMusic.
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sequence. Music perception, 2, 52-77.
Takashima, K. (1988). ALL OF THE JAZZ STANDARD. Tokyo,
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context, Musical Acoustics. Tech. Rep. of ASJ, MA-2007-6 (pp.
7-12).
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