Modelling Complexity in Musical Rhythm

TL;DR

This paper introduces a method to model and quantify the complexity of musical rhythms using L-systems and automata, providing insights into psychological perception and similarity of musical structures.

Contribution

It presents a novel approach to measure musical rhythm complexity through tree structures derived from L-systems, linking structural complexity to psychological perception.

Findings

Successfully modeled rhythm complexity for various compositions including Mozart K488

Provided a quantitative measure of musical similarity based on tree complexity

Demonstrated the approach's relevance to music perception and psychological complexity

Abstract

This paper constructs a tree structure for the music rhythm using the L-system. It models the structure as an automata and derives its complexity. It also solves the complexity for the L-system. This complexity can resolve the similarity between trees. This complexity serves as a measure of psychological complexity for rhythms. It resolves the music complexity of various compositions including the Mozart effect K488. Keyword: music perception, psychological complexity, rhythm, L-system, automata, temporal associative memory, inverse problem, rewriting rule, bracketed string, tree similarity