MOMOS-MT: Mobile Monophonic System for Music Transcription

TL;DR

This paper introduces MOMOS-MT, a mobile system that transcribes monophonic music recordings into sheet music, aiding cultural preservation and accessible music transcription in real-time.

Contribution

It presents a novel mobile tool combining FFT and other methods for real-time transcription of monophonic music for musicians and ethnomusicologists.

Findings

System successfully transcribes monophonic recordings into sheet music.

Operates effectively on mobile platforms for in-situ transcription.

Facilitates music preservation and distribution for cultures without written music.

Abstract

Music holds a significant cultural role in social identity and in the encouragement of socialization. Technology, by the destruction of physical and cultural distance, has lead to many changes in musical themes and the complete loss of forms. Yet, it also allows for the preservation and distribution of music from societies without a history of written sheet music. This paper presents early work on a tool for musicians and ethnomusicologists to transcribe sheet music from monophonic voiced pieces for preservation and distribution. Using FFT, the system detects the pitch frequencies, also other methods detect note durations, tempo, time signatures and generates sheet music. The final system is able to be used in mobile platforms allowing the user to take recordings and produce sheet music in situ to a performance.