Modeling Jazz Music: A Computational Approach to Jazz Improvisation, Solo Form, and Composition

Abstract

The purpose of this thesis to explore the ways in which jazz theory can be modeled and present an algorithm for building an accompaniment style from sheet music. Due to the looseness of convention and emphasis on intuition in improvisation, the modeling of jazz theory used here employs a randomness that helps to capture the spontaneity of live performance. I decompose the chord symbols in songs in a manner similar to how an improviser might and use this information to build chord voicings that describe the tonal structure of specific chords. This allows for the creation of an accompaniment that is pleasing to the ear and adequately mirrors the improvisational process of the jazz musician.