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Melodic Contour Code

Melodic Contour Code

Type: noun

Pronunciation: /mel-od-ick-kon-tour-kohd/

Also spelled or known as: Parsons Code

Related: Music Identification

What does Melodic Contour Code mean? A simple way of identifying melodies by the direction of pitch movement; U (up), D (down) and R (repeat).

Melodic Contour Code, also known as Parsons Code, developed by Denys Parsons in 1975, the system represents a melody’s pitch changes while completely ignoring rhythm. It translates musical themes into a string of characters using the following rules:
  • * : Indicates the starting note (used as a reference).
  • U (Up) : The current note is higher than the previous note.
  • D (Down) : The current note is lower than the previous note.
  • R (Repeat) : The current note has the same pitch.

Melodic Contour Code represents whether notes go up, down, or repeat, helping identify songs from melodic contour.

Melodic Contour Code synonyms: Parsons Code, Melody Code, Tune Identification Code

Example sentence: “The researcher used Melodic Contour Code to compare melodies.”

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