Parsons code

noun

A simple notation used to identify a piece of music through the falling and rising motion of its pitch.

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Meanings

nounParsons code (plural Parsons codes)

plural Parsons codes

  1. A simple notation used to identify a piece of music through the falling and rising motion of its pitch.

Origin

Developed by Denys Parsons for his 1975 book The Directory of Tunes and Musical Themes.

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Cite this entry
APA

Parsons code. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Parsons%20code

MLA

“Parsons code.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Parsons%20code. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Parsons code,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Parsons%20code.

Source: Parsons code on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.