Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Exploring Algorithmic Musical Key Recognition, Nathan J. Levine

CMC Senior Theses

The following thesis outlines the goal and process of algorithmic musical key detection as well as the underlying music theory. This includes a discussion of signal-processing techniques intended to most accurately detect musical pitch, as well as a detailed description of the Krumhansl-Shmuckler (KS) key-finding algorithm. It also describes the Java based implementation and testing process of a musical key-finding program based on the KS algorithm. This thesis provides an analysis of the results and a comparison with the original algorithm, ending with a discussion of the recommended direction of further development.