An Interactive Constraint-based Expert Assistant for Music Composition

A novel use of constraint propagation within an expert system for music composition is described. The task of composing contrapuntal music is modelled as a constraint satisfaction problem, and consistency techniques are utilized to present the user { as each note is chosen { with a graphical projection of the relaxed constraint graph. The expert system's role is to prevent the user from violating any rule of counterpoint composition. This system illustrates the potential of separating generative (search strategy) from restrictive (constraints) knowledge in interactive expert systems.