Evolutionary Computation Applied to Melody Generation

In recent years, the personal computer has become an integral component in the typesetting and management of various types of music. However, the computer is capable of serving as more than just a typesetting and data management tool. This paper explores the ability of a computer to generate and arrange four part vocal harmony in the style of church hymnody. The research presented here involves the use of an evolutionary algorithm to generate a melody. The resulting melody is then arranged into four parts using a decision tree for assigning chords. The result is an application that produces unique and pleasing music suitably arranged for Soprano, Alto, Tenor, and Bass.