TrAP: An Interactive System to Generate Valid Raga Phrases from Sound-Tracings

We propose a new musical interface, TrAP (TRace-A-Phrase) for generating phrases of Hindustani Classical Music (HCM). In this system the user traces melodic phrases on a tablet interface to create phrases in a raga. We begin by analyzing tracings drawn by 28 participants, and train a classifier to categorize them into one of four melodic categories from the theory of Hindustani Music. Then we create a model based on note transitions from the raga grammar for the notes used in the singable octaves in HCM. Upon being given a new tracing, the system segments the tracing and computes a final phrase that best approximates the tracing.