PLAY - QB64Official/qb64 GitHub Wiki

PLAY is a statement that plays notes of sound through the sound card in QB64 using a command STRING.

Syntax

PLAY commandstring$

Parameter(s)

The commandstring can be any literal or variable STRING consisting of the following uppercase or lowercase commands:
- On - Sets the current octave (from 0 to 6). Example: PLAY "O3"
- < - Down one octave (cannot be below zero). Example: PLAY "<<" 'goes down two octaves.
- > - Up one octave (cannot be above 6). Example: PLAY ">>" ' goes up two octaves.
- A, B, C, D, E, F or G are the notes in the current octave. Can use the following suffixes:
  - + or # for a sharp note. Example: PLAY "C#"
  - - for a flat note. Example: PLAY "C-"
- Nn - Plays a note n by number(n can be between 0 to 84 in the 7 octaves, where 0 is a rest). Example: PLAY "N42"
- Ln - Sets length of a note (n can be 1 to 64 where 1 is a whole note and 4 is a quarter of a note etc.). Example: PLAY "L4"
  - MS - Each note plays 3/4 of length set by L (staccato)
  - MN - Each note plays 7/8 of length set by L (normal)
  - ML - Each note plays full length set by L (legato)
  - Pn - Pause in the duration of n quarternotes (n can be 1 to 64) corresponding to L, Example: PLAY "P32"
  - Tn - Tempo sets number of L4 quarter notes per minute (n can be 32 to 255 where 120 is the default). Example: PLAY "T180"
- ** .** - period after a note plays 1½ times the note length determined by L * T.
- .. - two periods plays 1-3/4 times the note length determined by L * T.
- , - commas in QB64 stop play advancement to allow more than one note to be played simultaneously. Example: PLAY "C,E,G,"
- Vn - Volume in QB64 only can be any volume from 0(none) to 100(full). The default level is 50 when n is not specified.
- MF - Play music in the foreground (each note must be completed before another can start).
- MB - Play music in the background while program code execution continues (QB64 has no note buffer limits).
- X + VARPTR$(string-expression) - executes a command string variable. MUST be used with variables!.

Usage

MB will allow music to play while program code progresses. MF will wait for code to continue playing notes.
Command string values are not case sensitive and spacing is ignored. Use upper or lower case as desired. *NOTE: In QB64, PLAY may NOT delay program progress! Use _DELAY and END to allow music completion.

Example(s)

Plays a sound with the volume and note varying from 0 to 50. Maximum note can only be 84.

PLAY "mll64"
DO
    FOR x = 1 TO 50
        a$ = a$ + "v" + LTRIM$(STR$(x)) + "n" + LTRIM$(STR$(x))
    NEXT
    FOR x = 50 TO 1 STEP -1
        a$ = a$ + "v" + LTRIM$(STR$(x)) + "n" + LTRIM$(STR$(x))
    NEXT
    PLAY a$
    a$ = ""
LOOP UNTIL INKEY$ <> ""
PLAY "v10l1c,l4egl2o5c,o4l4eg"

Plays "Frosty the snowman". The lyric printing is not delayed by PLAY in QB64.

CLS : PRINT "Frosty the Snow Man" 
FOR X = 1 TO 2
  PRINT
  IF X = 1 THEN PRINT "Fros-ty the Snow man was a jolly happy soul,"
  IF X = 2 THEN PRINT "Fros-ty the Snow man knew the sun was hot that day"
  PLAY "t140o2p4g2e4.f8g4o3c2o2b8o3c8d4c4o2b4a8g2."   'MB removed to print song one line at a time
  IF X = 1 THEN PRINT "with a corn cob pipe and a button nose and two eyes made out of coal."
  IF X = 2 THEN PRINT "so he said Let's run and we'll have some fun now before I melt away."
  PLAY "o2b8o3c8d4c4o2b4a8a8g8o3c4o2e8e4g8a8g4f4e4f4g2."
  IF X = 1 THEN PRINT "Fros-ty the Snow Man is a fair-y tale, they say,"
  IF X = 2 THEN PRINT "Down to the vil-lage, with a broom-stick in his hand,"
  PLAY "g2e4.f8g4o3c2o2b8o3c8d4c4o2b4a8g2."
  IF X = 1 THEN PRINT "He was made of snow but the chil-dren knew how he come to life one day."
  IF X = 2 THEN PRINT "run-ning here and there all a-round the square, say-in' catch me if you can."
  PLAY "o2b8o3c8d4c4o2b4a8a8g8o3c4o2e8e4g8a8g4f4e4d4c2."
  IF X = 1 THEN PRINT "There must have been some magic in that old silk hat they found."
  IF X = 2 THEN PRINT "He led them down the streets of town right to the traffic cop."
  PLAY "c4a4a4o3c4c4o2b4a4g4e4f4a4g4f4e2."
  IF X = 1 THEN PRINT "For when they placed it on his head he be-gan to dance a round."
  IF X = 2 THEN PRINT "And he on-ly paused a moment when he heard him hol-ler Stop!"
  PLAY "e8e8d4d4g4g4b4b4o3d4d8o2b8o3d4c4o2b4a4g4p4"
  IF X = 1 THEN PRINT "Oh, Fros-ty the Snow Man was a-live as he could be,"
  IF X = 2 THEN PRINT "For, Fros-ty the Snow Man had to hur-ry on his way"
  PLAY "g2g2e4.f8g4o3c2o2b8o3c8d4c4o2b4a8g8g2."
  IF X = 1 THEN PRINT "and the chil-dren say he could laugh and play just the same as you and me."
  IF X = 2 THEN PRINT "but he waved good-bye say-in' Don't you cry, I'll be back a-gain some day."
  PLAY "o2b8o3c8d4c4o2b4a8a8g8o3c4o2e8e4g8a8g4f4e4d4c2.p4"
NEXT X
PRINT : PRINT "Thump-et-y thump thump, thump-et-y thump thump, look at Fros-ty go."
PLAY "t180g8g8g4g4g4a8g8g4g4g4a4g4e4g4d1"
PRINT "Thump-et-y thump thump, thump-et-y thump thump, ov-er the hills of snow."
PLAY "t180g8g8g4g4g4a8g8g4g4g4g8g8g4a4b4o3c2c4p1" 
END

Clicking on the grid enables various notes to be played simultaneously.

DIM SHARED grid(16, 16), grid2(16, 16), cur
CONST maxx = 512
CONST maxy = 512
SCREEN _NEWIMAGE(maxx, maxy, 32)
_TITLE "MusicGrid"
cleargrid
DO
    IF TIMER - t# > 1 / 8 THEN cur = (cur + 1) AND 15: t# = TIMER
    IF cur <> oldcur THEN
        figuregrid
        drawgrid
        playgrid
        oldcur = cur
    END IF
    domousestuff
    in$ = INKEY$
    IF in$ = "C" OR in$ = "c" THEN cleargrid
LOOP UNTIL in$ = CHR$(27)

SUB drawgrid
scale! = maxx / 16
scale2 = maxx \ 16 - 2
FOR y = 0 TO 15
    y1 = y * scale!
    FOR x = 0 TO 15
        x1 = x * scale!
        c& = _RGB32(grid2(x, y) * 64 + 64, 0, 0)
        LINE (x1, y1)-(x1 + scale2, y1 + scale2), c&, BF
    NEXT x
NEXT y
END SUB

SUB figuregrid
FOR y = 0 TO 15
    FOR x = 0 TO 15
        grid2(x, y) = grid(x, y)
    NEXT x
NEXT y
FOR y = 1 TO 14
    FOR x = 1 TO 14
        IF grid(x, y) = 1 AND cur = x THEN
            grid2(x, y) = 2
            IF grid(x - 1, y) = 0 THEN grid2(x - 1, y) = 1
            IF grid(x + 1, y) = 0 THEN grid2(x + 1, y) = 1
            IF grid(x, y - 1) = 0 THEN grid2(x, y - 1) = 1
            IF grid(x, y + 1) = 0 THEN grid2(x, y + 1) = 1
        END IF
    NEXT x
NEXT y
END SUB

SUB domousestuff
DO WHILE _MOUSEINPUT
    IF _MOUSEBUTTON(1) THEN
        x = _MOUSEX \ (maxx \ 16)
        y = _MOUSEY \ (maxy \ 16)
        grid(x, y) = 1 - grid(x, y)
    END IF
LOOP
END SUB

SUB playgrid
n$ = "L16 "
'scale$ = "O1CO1DO1EO1FO1GO1AO1BO2CO2DO2EO2FO2GO2AO2BO3CO3D"
scale$ = "o1fo1go1ao2co2do2fo2go2ao3co3do3fo3go3ao4co4do4fo"
FOR y = 15 TO 0 STEP -1
    IF grid(cur, y) = 1 THEN
        note$ = MID$(scale$, 1 + (15 - y) * 3, 3)
        n$ = n$ + note$ + ","   'comma plays 2 or more column notes simultaneously
    END IF
NEXT y
n$ = LEFT$(n$, LEN(n$) - 1)
PLAY n$
END SUB

SUB cleargrid
FOR y = 0 TO 15
    FOR x = 0 TO 15
        grid(x, y) = 0
    NEXT x
NEXT y
END SUB

Play strings starting with MB allow program code to run while music plays in background.

' 2012, 2013 mennonite
' license: creative commons cc0 1.0 universal
' (public domain) http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

SCREEN 12 ' the following works in other screen modes, too
RANDOMIZE TIMER

PLAY "mb l4cf.l8el4fag.l8fl4gl8agl4f.l8fl4a>cl2dl4dl4c.<l8al4afg.l8fl4gl8agl4f.l8dl4dcl2f>l4dc.<l8al4afg.l8fl4g>dc.<l8al4a>cl2dl4dc.<l8al4afg.l8fl4gl8agl4f.l8dl4dcl1f"

DIM ccs(1 TO 9, 1 TO 2)
ccs(1, 1) = 415: ccs(1, 2) = 289
ccs(2, 1) = 185: ccs(2, 2) = 128
ccs(3, 1) = 108: ccs(3, 2) = 75
ccs(4, 1) = 70: ccs(4, 2) = 48
ccs(5, 1) = 48: ccs(5, 2) = 32
ccs(6, 1) = 32: ccs(6, 2) = 20
ccs(7, 1) = 20: ccs(7, 2) = 12
ccs(8, 1) = 10: ccs(8, 2) = 6
ccs(9, 1) = 2: ccs(9, 2) = 2

FOR extra = 1 TO 23
  FOR p = 1 TO 9
    gcolor INT(RND * 9 + 14 - 9)
    _DELAY .04
    CLS
    gscale p
    row = ccs(p, 1)
    cl = ccs(p, 2)
    glocate row, cl
    gprint "000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000"
    glocate row + 1, cl
    gprint "0x00x0xxxx0xxxx0xxxx0x0x000x00x0xxxx0x000x000x0x0xxxx0xxxx0xxxx000x00"
    glocate row + 2, cl
    gprint "0x00x0x00x0x00x0x00x0x0x000xx0x0x0000x000x000x0x0x0000x00x0x00x000x00"
    glocate row + 3, cl
    gprint "0xxxx0xxxx0xxxx0xxxx0x0x000x0xx0xxx00x0x0x000x0x0xxx00xxxx0xxxx000x00"
    glocate row + 4, cl
    gprint "0x00x0x00x0x0000x00000x0000x00x0x0000x0x0x0000x00x0000x00x0x0x0000000"
    glocate row + 5, cl
    gprint "0x00x0x00x0x0000x00000x0000x00x0xxxx0xx0xx0000x00xxxx0x00x0x00x000x00"
    glocate row + 6, cl
    gprint "000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000"
  NEXT p
  SLEEP 1
  IF INKEY$ = CHR$(27) THEN EXIT FOR
NEXT extra

END

SUB gscale (s):
SHARED gscalep
gscalep = INT(s)
END SUB

SUB gcolor (c):
SHARED gcolorp
gcolorp = c
END SUB

SUB gbackcolor (c):
SHARED gbackcolorp
gbackcolorp = c
END SUB

SUB glocate (row, column):
SHARED gposxp
SHARED gposyp
gposyp = row
gposxp = column
END SUB

SUB gprint (p$):
SHARED gscalep
SHARED gposxp, gposyp
SHARED gcolorp, gbackcolorp
' # means "use the foreground color here."
' . means "use the background color here."
' _ means "transparent - don't draw this block at all" (you can layer!)
' 0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,a,b,c,d,e,f means "do color attribute 0 to 15."
' any letter after f: "use the foreground color here."
IF gscalep < 1 THEN gscalep = 1
pcolorp = gcolorp
FOR p = 1 TO LEN(p$):
  SELECT CASE LCASE$(MID$(p$, p, 1))
    CASE "#", "g", "h", "i", "j", "k", "l", "m", "n", "o", "p", "q", "r", "s", "t", "u", "v", "w", "x", "y", "z"
      pcolorp = gcolorp
    CASE "."
      pcolorp = gbackcolorp
    CASE "_"
      pcolorp = -1
    CASE "0", "1", "2", "3", "4", "5", "6", "7", "8", "9", "a", "b", "c", "d", "e", "f"
      pcolorp = INSTR("0123456789abcdef", LCASE$(MID$(p$, p, 1))) - 1
  END SELECT
  IF NOT pcolorp = -1 THEN
    IF gscalep > 1 THEN
      LINE ((gposxp - 1) * gscalep, (gposyp - 1) * gscalep)-STEP(gscalep - 1, gscalep - 1), pcolorp, BF
    ELSE:
      PSET (gposxp, gposyp), pcolorp
    END IF
  END IF
  glocate gposyp, gposxp + 1
NEXT p
gposxp = 1
glocate gposyp + 1, 1 'gposyp = gposyp + 1
END SUB

This example uses PRINT to good effect as string spacing is ignored by PLAY:

WIDTH 59, 28
PRINT <nowiki>
x$ = x$ + "   o3    l4         t         0120c    ml<f1   ,a      1,  "
x$ = x$ + "   >c    1,        mnf        .e  8f   am  l<   e1    ,g   "
x$ = x$ + "   1,    >c       1, mn       g.   f8  ga   8g   8m  l<    "
x$ = x$ + "   f2.,a2.,      >c   2.      ,m  nf   .f  8a     ml<f     "
x$ = x$ + "   ,a,>c,mn     >cd2.,<f2     .,d2     .,<b        -2      "
x$ = x$ + "   .m    lb    -,>d,f,mn>d    ml       <c          1,      "
x$ = x$ + "   <a    1,   f1         ,m   n>       >c          .<      "
x$ = x$ + "   a8    af  ml           c1  ,<       e1          ,g      "
x$ = x$ + "                                                           "
x$ = x$ + "      1,m      n>  g.f8ga8g8m  l<                   f1     "
x$ = x$ + "      ,d1,     <b  -1           ,m                 n>      "
x$ = x$ + "      >f .d    8d  c<            f2               .,       "
x$ = x$ + "      a2  .,   c2  .,>f2.         ml      <      b-        "
x$ = x$ + "      ,>   d,  f,  mn>dml          <c    1,<    a1         "
x$ = x$ + "      ,f    1, mn  >>               c.  <a 8a  fm          "
x$ = x$ + "      lc     2.,<  e2                .,g2   .,mn           "
x$ = x$ + "      >g      .f8  gml<b-,>d,         f,     mn            "
x$ = x$ + "                                                           "
x$ = x$ + ">d      ml  <<f2.,a2.,         >         c2.,m       n>  c."
x$ = x$ + " <a    8a   ml                <e,        g,  >c      ,m  n>"
x$ = x$ + "  cm  l<    <b               -2 .,       >d   2.     ,f  2."
x$ = x$ + "   ,mn>     d2.ml<          <b   -,      >d  ,f      ,m  n>"
x$ = x$ + "    dm      l<<f1,         a1,>c1,mn     >c.<a       8a  fm"
x$ = x$ + "    lc      1,            <e1,g1,mn>g    .f  8g      a8  g8"
x$ = x$ + "    ml      <<           b-         1,   >d   1,           "
x$ = x$ + "    f1      ,mn>f.d8dc  l1           ml  f,    c,    <a  ,f"</nowiki>
PRINT x$;
PLAY x

PLAY - QB64Official/qb64 GitHub Wiki

Syntax

Parameter(s)

Usage

Example(s)

See Also

⚠️ GitHub.com Fallback ⚠️

PLAY - QB64Official/qb64 GitHub Wiki

Syntax

Parameter(s)

Usage

Example(s)

See Also

⚠️ **GitHub.com Fallback** ⚠️

⚠️ GitHub.com Fallback ⚠️