Constraint Programming Systems for Modeling Music Theories and Composition

Constraint programming is well suited for the computational modeling of music theories and composition: its declarative and modular approach shares similarities with the way music theory is traditionally expressed, namely by a set of rules which describe the intended result. Various music theory disciplines have been modeled, including counterpoint, harmony, rhythm, form, and instrumentation. Because modeling music theories “from scratch” is a complex task, generic music constraint programming systems have been proposed that predefine the required building blocks for modeling a range of music theories. After introducing the field and its problems in general, this survey compares these generic systems according to a number of criteria such as the range of music theories these systems support.