Comparing computational approaches to rhythmic and melodic similarity in folksong research

Abstract

In this paper we compare computational approaches to rhythmic and melodic similarity in order to find relevant features characterizing similarity in a large collection of Dutch folksongs. Similarity rankings based on Transportation Distances are compared to an approach of rhythmic similarity based on Inner Metric Analysis proposed in this paper. The comparison between the two models demonstrates the important impact of rhythmic organization on melodic similarity.