MIDI to parsons code conversion

GNMIDI

MIDI to parsons code conversion

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Parsons code describes the contour changes of a mono phon melody by simple character symbols.
With parsons code it is possible to identify melody by inexact tone height changes, it does not require a precise interpretation of notes, duration and transposition.

The result will be written into a new text edit window (Notepad). Longer melodies might create long parsons code.
Longer pauses between melody notes will break the parsons code and a new parsons code will start with * in a new line.

Melody channel:

Choose a melody channel that contains the melody notes, which should be converted. This channel must contains melody notes (and should be mono phon, because Parsons code only supports mono phon melodies), that it can be converted to parsons code.

Short note overlappings will be corrected automatically. If the channel contains long note overlappings this could infect the results unwanted.

Parsons code format:

Parsons code of a melody usually begins with a * symbol, that is the placeholder for any start tone height.

Following tone changes are allowed and will be described by following characters:

D (Down) tone height will be lower relative to the previous tone

U (Up) tone height will be higher relative to the previous tone

R (Repeat) last tone height will be repeated

Example: *DUDUDUDDDUUUDUUU
that is the Parsons code of main melody Beethoven "Per Elise" which was produced from the notes
E D# E D# E B D C A, C E A B, E G# B C.

https://www.musipedia.org provides a search engine for melody searching using parsons code.
Above example was found in classic range at first place. When searching in all music ranges "Per Elise" was found at 3rd place, there are other melodies (z.B. Rolling Stones) that produce similar parsons code. It does not mean that the melodies are identical.

A conversion from Parsons code back to MIDI can not be done unique, because Parsons code does not contain notes or durations.