Name that tune

[simont]

The following tune has been wandering occasionally around my head for some months if not a year or so, and I've no idea what it is, and it's really bugging me that I can't remember.

It took me some faffing to get this into a suitable format; I actually ended up with several suitable formats. So here we go. I've got a MIDI file (very small to download, and Windows Media Player ought to cope): http://www.tartarus.org/~simon/20051107-name-that-tune/tune.mid. Just in case that doesn't work for everyone, here's an MP3 version (larger, but ought to get the job done): http://www.tartarus.org/~simon/20051107-name-that-tune/tune.mp3. And finally, for those without sound or who prefer to do these things visually, here's the tune written down:

(I don't have absolute pitch, so I've transposed it into C for minimum sharps-and-flats hassle. People who do have absolute pitch should not take this as indicating anything whatsoever about the key the real thing is in.)

Comments

[hilarityallen.livejournal.com]

ARRRGGGH. I know I know it, but I have no idea what it is!

[cartesiandaemon.livejournal.com]

It sounds very like something I heard in a computer game once that I can't remember the title of, but I the fact that that *always* happens is one of the reasons I'm inadequate :)

[emperor]

I don't recognise it at all, I'm afraid.

aaauuuugggghhhhhhh!

[timotab.livejournal.com]

I have no idea what that tune is... but it's now in my head! SWINE! :D

[tlingel.livejournal.com]

I think it's from a musical. It's certainly very familiar (although I'm not sure about the end of the second phrase). What you need is this (basically tunes indexed by up/down transitions rather than absolute notes). I saw it in a library many years ago. http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/090474700X/qid=1131476034/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_8_1/026-9819275-6555618 It would be a bit pricey just to find one tune, though!

'Parsons Code'

[lookoutjames.livejournal.com]

This method (indexing by up/down/same transitions) is called the 'Parsons Code'. There's an on-line Parsons search at http://www.musipedia.org/
but I'm not sure how comprehensive the index is. Wikipedia also knows (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parsons_code) but isn't particularly helpful.

I quickly calculated it (by hand) to be '*udurdudurduduudddduudurdudurduuddu',
but it didn't find any exact matches. I don't think I know it myself; it reminds me slightly of a melody from 'Ragtime' (the musical) but it's not the one.

[(Anonymous)]

It sounds like some sort of music from an computer arcade game from the 70s or 80s. Maybe something like 'Dig-Dug' (although I don't think it was that).