Cue Abstraction, Paradigmatic Analysis and Information Dynamics: Towards Music Analysis by Cognitive Model

I present a preliminary study intended to explore the explication of the mechanisms of cue abstraction (De liege, 1987, ff.) in terms of the information dynamics of music. I build on the apparent relation between cue abstraction and the paradigmatic analysis technique of Ruwet (1972). I argue that the introduction of the IDyOM information-theoretic model of musical listening (Pearce, 2005; Wiggins et al., 2009) into the study begins to account for the appearance of cues and imprint formation, in De liege's terms. I illustrate how the model may in future contribute to systems which are capable of automating the process of music analysis.