Dataset for a study exploring melodic similarity and contrast using a Digital Tabletop

Sketching Music: exploring melodic similarity and contrast using a Digital Tabletop

We conducted a study in which participants explored and developed their understanding of similarity and contrast in relation to melody. We present the data collected with three of the participants. Each participant went through an initial discussion about similarity and contrast, to become aware of their own understanding of the terms. This is reflected in the Interview section. Then we asked them to classify three related melodies by whether they were pairwise similar or contrasting with each other. We used a simple inside-similar vs outside-contrasting representation on an interactive digital tabletop, and the outcomes are reflected in the Listening and classification section. The participants then engaged in an increasingly open-ended melody composition exercise in which we asked them to use alternatively similarity and contrast to complete some short melodies using alternatively similarity and contrast, and to describe their process and feelings about the resulting melodies. This is reflected in the Challenge-response and Fill-the-gaps sections. Lastly, we asked our participants to freely invent a short story and compose a whole melody to represent it. We observed their process, and we asked to reflect on it and describe it as well as the melody and the story in relation with each other.