Parsons code

The Parsons code is a simple notation used to identify a song through melodic motion—the motion of the pitch up and down. The code was developed by Denys Parsons for his 1975 book, The Directory of Tunes and Musical Themes.

The Code

The first note of a song is denoted with a *, although the * is sometimes omitted. All notes following the first note are denoted with one of three letters:

• U for "up," if the note is higher than the previous note
• D for "down," if the note is lower than the previous note
• R for "repeat," if the note is identical to the previous note

For example, the beginning of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star can be encoded with *RURURDDRDRDRD.

External link

• Musipedica - "The Open Music Encyclopedia" uses Parsons code for encoding songs in their database

References

• The Parsons Code for Melodic Contours at Musipedia
• Parsons, Denys (1975). Directory of Tunes and Musical Themes, The. S. Brown. ISBN 090474700X.