Four-part Harmonization Using Bayesian Networks: Pros and Cons of Introducing Chord Nodes
Syunpei Suzuki, Tetsuro Kitahara · Journal of New Music Research · 2014
We explore Bayesian network models that generate four-part harmonies according to the melody of a soprano voice. The probabilistic models that most studies have proposed already contain nodes or states that represent chord symbols. Chord symbols, however, may not be suitable as a node of probabilistic models because they are ambiguous; chords with different voicings are represented as the same symbol. In this paper, we develop Bayesian networks that do and do not include chord nodes and compare the harmonies generated by them. Experimental results show that the non-chord model generates harmonies in which each voice has smoother note motions than the chord model.