Genesis and Architecture of the GTTM Project

Abstract

I EXAMINE THE INTELLECTUAL AND MUSIC-THEORETIC origins of A Generative Theory of Tonal Music (Lerdahl & Jackendoff, 1983) and review the crucial steps in theory construction that led to its overall architecture. This leads to a discussion of how shortcomings in GTTM motivated developments in Tonal Pitch Space (Lerdahl, 2001). I conclude with a diagram that encompasses the major components of the expanded GTTM/TPS theory.