🔗 Parsons code

The Parsons code, formally named the Parsons code for melodic contours, is a simple notation used to identify a piece of music through melodic motion — movements of the pitch up and down. Denys Parsons developed this system for his 1975 book The Directory of Tunes and Musical Themes. Representing a melody in this manner makes it easier to index or search for pieces, particularly when the notes values are unknown.

The book was also published in Germany in 2002 and reprinted by Piatkus as The Directory of Classical Themes in 2008.