1. a grammar checker for music compositions in the style of Palestrina
Palestrina Pal
a grammar checker for music compositions in the style of Palestrina
by Anna Cheng-Zhi Huang
junior in CSCI-MUCO)
(Faculty mentor Professor Chew).

2. Motivation
Make composers more aware of their Palestrina rule violations and to focus on higher level aesthetic issues. 
Extend creative technologies to CAC to improve musical communication.
Anna Huang: ISE599: 2004
Palestrina Pal

3. Objective a JAVA application OOP and GUIDO
checks for rule violations in compositions in the style of Palestrina.
automatically recognizes and highlights errors in a GUI
Anna Huang: ISE599: 2004
Palestrina Pal

4. 16th century counterpoint
the art of combining two or more melodic lines which are independent yet coordinate in feeling.
foundation for western music in following centuries.
Italian Palestrina (1525 – 1594) brought this style of music to its peak.
Anna Huang: ISE599: 2004
Palestrina Pal

5. Why are these “tedious” rules necessary?
based on “The Craft of Modal Counterpoint” by Thomas Benjamin.
a grammar to define meanings, in music.
harmonic, melodic and rhythmic rules
Anna Huang: ISE599: 2004
Palestrina Pal

6. Input, output What is GUIDO? (example shown) Input: Output:
GUIDO text file
piano keyboard
Output:
MIDI
Anna Huang: ISE599: 2004
Palestrina Pal

7. Composition rules implemented.
harmonic:
parallelism, treatment of dissonance, etc
melodic:
leap intervals compensation, etc
rhythmic:
choice of note values and placements, etc.
Anna Huang: ISE599: 2004
Palestrina Pal

8. Harmonic rules: Perfect parallelism Direct/Contrary parallelism
avoid parallel fifths, octaves and unisons.
Direct/Contrary parallelism
avoid fifths and octaves approached by leaps in the same direction or by contrary motion.
Anna Huang: ISE599: 2004
Palestrina Pal

9. (Dissonance treatments)
Passing Tone
a half note or quarter note dissonance on the weak beat approached and resolved by step and in the same direction.
Neighbor Note
a quarter or eighth note dissonance on the weak part of a beat approached and resolved in opposite directions.
Anna Huang: ISE599: 2004
Palestrina Pal

10. Continued Harmonic rules
Suspension
this idiom involves a consonant preparation, dissonance (a half note) on the same pitch on a strong beat, and resolution down by step to a consonance.
Anticipation (consonant or dissonant)
a quarter note on the weak part of any beat that anticipates the pitch of the coming consonant vertical interval.
Anna Huang: ISE599: 2004
Palestrina Pal

11. Melodic rules: Range Melodic leaps Uncompensated leaps
soprano, alto, tenor and bass voices must operate within well-specified ranges.
Melodic leaps
use only m2, M2, m3, M3, P4, P5, m6(ascending only), and P8(rare).
Uncompensated leaps
melodic leaps are to be compensated (approached and left in opposite direction as leap).
Anna Huang: ISE599: 2004
Palestrina Pal

12. Rhythmic rules: Note values Dotted note values Dotted note Positions
Basic note values are limited to double whole notes to eighth notes.
Dotted note values
Any values other than the quarter and eighth notes may be dotted.
Dotted note Positions
Dotted whole notes may begin only on beats 1 or 3, and dotted half notes must start on the beginning of a beat.
Anna Huang: ISE599: 2004
Palestrina Pal

13. Example Use Finale music notation software to input notes.
Use GUIDO plugin to convert the Finale file.
Enable the rules wanted and run Palestrina Pal software
Error display and detection explained.
Correct wrong notes by modifying the GUIDO code or by keyboard interface.
Save composition as MIDI, and play.
Anna Huang: ISE599: 2004
Palestrina Pal

14. Manual analysis
Anna Huang: ISE599: 2004
Palestrina Pal

15. GUI with all the stops.
Anna Huang: ISE599: 2004
Palestrina Pal

16. Sicut Cervus by Palestrina
Anna Huang: ISE599: 2004
Palestrina Pal

17. Sicut Cervus: Result
Anna Huang: ISE599: 2004
Palestrina Pal

18. Source code design
classes resemble real life music composition objects.
evaluation procedure mimics how composers actually proofread work.
Anna Huang: ISE599: 2004
Palestrina Pal

19. Applications of Palestrina Pal
proofread compositions, not just Palestrina style
identify and analyze characteristics of C16th counterpoint.
evaluate computer-generated counterpoint in CAC.
music education, counterpoint theory
Anna Huang: ISE599: 2004
Palestrina Pal

20. Relevant Work Being Conducted
first system for automated evaluation of Palestrina style compositions.
potential for practical use in the music classroom.
Farbood and Schoener [2] focus on synthesis of Palestrina style compositions using Markov models.
Anna Huang: ISE599: 2004
Palestrina Pal

21. Future Goals
improve the user interface: piano roll to show imitations.
Conduct user studies
incorporate secondary level rules and suggestions for corrections
Anna Huang: ISE599: 2004
Palestrina Pal