Method for converting a music signal into a note-based description and for referencing a music signal in a data bank

In a method for transferring a music signal into a note-based description, a frequency-time representation of the music signal is first generated, the frequency-time representation comprising coordinate tuples, a coordinate tuple including a frequency value and a time value, the time value indicating the time of occurrence of the assigned frequency in the music signal. Thereupon, a fit function will be calculated as a function of the time, the course of which is determined by the coordinate tuples of the frequency-time representation. For time-segmenting the frequency-time representation, at least two adjacent extreme values of the fit function will be determined. On the basis of the determined extreme values, a segmenting will be carried out, a segment being limited by two adjacent extreme values of the fit function, the time length of the segments indicating a time length of a note for the segment. For pitch determination, a pitch for the segment using coordinate tuples in the segment will be determined. For calculating the fit function and determining extreme values of the fit function for segmenting, no requirements are made to the music signal which is to be transferred into a note-based representation. The method is thus also suitable for continuous music signals.