Computational analysis of musical elements across twenty-two European countries

This work examines the similarities and differences between twenty-two European countries by using the computational model Information Dynamics of Music (IDyOM) to analyze various musical elements in folk songs, children’s folk songs, and children’s songs. The examination of the (dis)similarities between 22 European countries tests two hypotheses. First, it examines whether there are significant differences in the use of musical elements between European countries that are considered to have a common musical style. Secondly, it explores whether the musical elements used in the representative music of a particular country are more similar in countries with similar cultural, political, historical and economic backgrounds and geographical proximity. The results of the research, which compared the three genres across 22 European countries, revealed significant differences that highlight the unique ways in which these genres manifest themselves and how musical elements are integrated into the musical structure, suggesting that European countries do not possess a single musical style. Furthermore, some geographically distant countries have exhibited similarities, while other geographically close countries showed dissimilarities. This implies that either there is no shared musical foundation across different countries, or that the unique variations in musical expression within certain countries have had a significant influence on the overall population.