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