The heart of music classification: toward a model of classifying musical medium

Pages258-277
DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1108/JD-08-2017-0120
Date12 March 2018
Published date12 March 2018
AuthorDeborah Lee,Lyn Robinson
Subject MatterLibrary & information science,Records management & preservation,Document management,Classification & cataloguing,Information behaviour & retrieval,Collection building & management,Scholarly communications/publishing,Information & knowledge management,Information management & governance,Information management,Information & communications technology,Internet
The heart of music classification:
toward a model of classifying
musical medium
Deborah Lee and Lyn Robinson
Centre for Information Science, City, University of London, London, UK
Abstract
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to understand the classification of musical medium, which is a critical
part of music classification. It considers how musical medium is currently classified, provides a theoretical
understanding of what is currently problematic, and proposes a model which rethinks the classification of
medium and resolves these issues.
Design/methodology/approach The analysis is drawn from existing classification schemes, additionally
using musicological and knowledge organization literature where relevant. The paper culminates in the
design of a model of musical medium.
Findings The analysiselicits sub-facets,orders and categorizationsof medium: there is a strictcategorization
between vocal and instrumental music, a categorization based on broad size, and important sub-facets for
multiples,accompaniment and arrangement.Problematically, thereis a mismatch between the definitiveness of
library andinformation science vocal/instrumental categorization and the blurrednature of real musical works;
arrangements and accompaniments are limited by other categorizations; multiple voices and groups are not
accommodated.So, a model with a radical new structureis proposed which resolves theseclassification issues.
Research limitations/implications The results could be used to further understanding of music
classification generally, for Western art music and other types of music.
Practical implications The resulting model could be used to improve and design new classification
schemes and to improve understanding of music retrieval.
Originality/value Deep theoretical analysis of music classification is rare, so this papers approach is
original. Furthermore, the papers value lies in studying a vital area of music classification which is not
currently understood, and providing explanations and solutions. The proposed model is novel in structure
and concept, and its original structure could be adapted for other knotty subjects.
Keywords Classification, Instruments, Classification models, Facet analysis, Music classification,
Musical medium, Voices
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
Music classification has both inspired and irritated for the best part of a century. The
voluminous discourse about music classification (see, for example, bibliographies by Nettl
(1960) and Smiarglia and Young (2006)), coupled with the many published and unpublished
classification schemes for music, indicate a subject which is difficult to classify. Yet, the
collective knowledge about music classification within library and information science (LIS)
shows that we still do not fully understand why music is difficult to classify or what is
happening when music is being classified; furthermore, with a few notable exceptions, no
substantial attempt has been made to consider music classification from a conceptual basis.
So, this paper investigates one particular area of music classification from a theoretical
perspective: the facet of musical medium.The medium of a musical work is the
instrument(s) and/or voice(s) required to play and/or sing that work. Examining music
classification reveals that medium is a multipart and complex part of musical works; so, as
medium is also a fundamental part of classifying music, unpicking the complexities of
classifying musical medium will greatly aid our understanding of music classification.
Therefore, this paper analyses how medium is typically classified and provides an
explanation for mediums complexities, then suggests a radical new way of thinking about
this area of music classification, and indeed classification more generally.
Journal of Documentation
Vol. 74 No. 2, 2017
pp. 258-277
© Emerald PublishingLimited
0022-0418
DOI 10.1108/JD-08-2017-0120
Received 7 August 2017
Revised 20 November 2017
Accepted 2 December 2017
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/0022-0418.htm
258
JD
74,2
The importance of medium to understanding the complexities of classifying music was
revealed in the authors doctoral dissertation (Lee, 2017a) which examined the classification
of notated Western art music, and the discussions in this paper evolve from this thesis.
However, this paper is focused on the mechanisms of one particular facet of music: musical
medium. After a brief discussion about methodology, the type of music information
considered in this research is considered, followed by a discussion of musical medium as a
musicological concept and as a facet. Then the elements which constitute musical medium
are delineated, aided by an examination of three example LIS classification schemes for
music. Three areas of medium classification are analyzed, which illuminate issues within
LIS classifications of medium. First, the vocal/instrumental categorization is explored,
which shows how this seldom-discussed division drives music classification within
LIS schemes, yet musical works do not always follow such a strict division. Second, issues
with classifying arrangement and accompaniment are discussed. Third, the classification
of multiple musical things is unpicked, in particular multiple voices and groups.
Finally, a model is presented which reconceives the classification of musical medium and
offers solutions to the various issues with classifying medium through a novel structure.
Medium is at the heart of music classification and this paper shows how its complexities can
be dissected, modeled and re-thought.
Methodology
There are two main methods used in this study. First, a qualitative method is used, which
could be described as a kind of content analysis approach, which in appropriate sections
analyses existing discourse in the LIS and music domains. For example, both LIS and music
domain literature are consulted when discussing the importance of the musical medium
facet. Note that writings from music information retrieval (MIR) have not been utilized;
as will be discussed in Section Which music information?, this research is primarily
discussing the classification of notated music, whereas MIR is interested in music as sound.
Second, this study analyses existing LIS classification schemes for music to investigate
the classification of musical medium. As well as providing examples of sub-facets and
citation orders, classification scheme analysis was used as the source of information about
LIS classification of specific parts of medium, as details about classifying medium are rarely
discussed in music LIS discourse. For example, the critical vocal/instrumental
categorization is not discussed in LIS discourse, in contrast to other structural features
such as categorization by format and the facets of music, which are prolific topics for
discussion (Lee, 2012).
Two sets of schemes were utilized in this study: a group of three special schemes for
music when more detailed analysis was needed, and a broader group of 16 other schemes
for wider and shallower information. Both sets of schemes were selected using purposive
sampling. Neither set was intended to be used for quantitative analysis, outside an
occasional approximate idea of majority or common practice. The three main example
schemes are as follows: CoatesBritish Catalogue of Music Classification (Coates, 1960,
abbreviated to BCMC), PethesFlexible Classification System of Music and Literature to
music (Pethes, 1967, abbreviated to Flexible) and Dickinsons Classification of Musical
Compositions: a Decimal-symbol System (Dickinson, 1938, abbreviated to Dickinson).
These three schemes are not limited to a specific type of user, meaning that both
the performer and music researcher perspective is covered when analyzing these three
example schemes. (The connection between music classification and its users is outside of
the scope of this paper, but a brief summary of literature about the relationship between
music library users and music classification can be found in Lee, 2017a, p. 52.) The wider set
of 16 schemes are used alongside the three main example schemes to make a broad and
general statement about LIS classification; on occasion, one of the 16 schemes provides a
259
The heart
of music
classification

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