Saturday, February 20, 2010

Rhythm based Search Engine Framework

From last few days a rhythmic tune has been running over my mind 24/7. I googled over the internet for the songs, background scores and ended up listening\downloading so many songs, but couldn’t be able to find the song which embeds this tune. Though I know the exact tune (the programmatic rhythm) I couldn’t be able to search over the internet based on the tune or rhythm.
After putting efforts for around 20-30 days I finally figured out the song using Google search. As I guessed it’s scored by none other than the music legend Ilayaraja. I used to hear this tune during my school days and at that time I don’t even know abcd’s of music …but it seems I enjoyed this tune a lot. That’s the power of melodious music.
Then suddenly an idea flashed in to my mind…y can’t we develop a search engine which could be able to search the rhythmic tunes embedded in songs \background scores?
For example, I have a simple tune like “Ta na na na naaaaa na……….. Ta na na na” ( This tune is from “Chariots of fire” as u might have guessed) it would be better if we have a search engine which grabs all the songs, background scores which embeds\”is based on” this tune.

Some of the basic functionalities which we can expect from this Search Engine Framework:
1) It could be able to search all musical compositions based on raga
Let’s call it as “Raga based search”
Example: All background scores\songs which embed Madhuvanti ragam
Also, it would be better if we have a provision to add filters like: Only Illayaraja’s or
Balamurali Krishna’s works in Madhuvanti raga
2) It could be able search all musical compositions based on a fugue
Let’s call it as “Fugue based search”
Example: All fugues scored in C minor
Filter: J.S. Bach’s, Mozart’s fugue works
3) It could be able to search all musical compositions based on arbitrary rhythmic strings
Let’s call it as “Rhythmic string search”
Example: String like “Ta na na naaa na”, “ Taaa na na nananaa….Taa na na nanana”
4) It could be able to search all extended musical compositions like Symphonies
Let’s call it as “Symphony based search”
Example: All Choral symphonies or All Pastoral symphonies
Filter: Ilayaraja’s and Beethoven’s symphonies

At this point of time I could be able to figure out these four basic functionalities in this search framework and you can look out for more additions in my next blog posts.
As you might have guessed, right now I am working on basic technology needs (voice recognition, rhythm capture, Harmonic progression capture, musical notation parser etc) for developing this product. If you have any suggestions or if you know any existing product with this kind of functionalities please let me know.

References:
http://webspace.webring.com/people/dv/vasudevanvrv/carnatic/raagams.htm
http://www.oocities.com/ilaiyaragam/index.html
http://www.jsbach.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ilaiyaraaja
http://www.its.caltech.edu/~tan/Mozartreq/main.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beethoven

4 comments:

Sreenivas said...

Check with Vinay Namboodri "http://www.orkut.com/Main#Profile?uid=7036874650045816647" I remember from IITB, he talking about mustic related searches and embedding tags in MP4 format. Check with him, he is doing PhD on this. you will get some good resources and guidance on this. may be, this would be a product, which google would be interested in. all the best.

Bhavik Kaushik Mumma Papa's 'NANU' said...

If that could add the Ragas(like raag malhar etc)
search or something in Western symphonies(like do remi fho so)

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