JAZZ MELODY GENERATION USING RECURRENT NETWORKS AND REINFORCEMENT LEARNING
Recurrent (neural) networks have been deployed as models for learning musical processes, by computational scientists who study processes such as dynamic systems. Over time, more intricate music has been learned as the state of the art in recurrent networks improves. One particular recurrent network, the Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) network shows promise for learning long songs, and generating new songs. We are experimenting with a module containing two inter-recurrent LSTM networks to cooperatively learn several human melodies, based on the songs' harmonic structures, and on the feedback inherent in the network. We show that these networks can learn to reproduce four human melodies. We then present as input new harmonizations, so as to generate new songs. We describe the reharmonizations, and show the new melodies that result. We also present a hierarchical structure for using reinforcement learning to choose LSTM modules during the course of melody generation.