play

#play

##Syntax play ( music : string )

##Description The play procedure is used to sound musical notes on the computer.

##Example This program sounds the first three notes of the C scale.

    play ( "cde" )

##Example This program plays from middle C to one octave above middle C and down again in 8th notes.

    play ( "8cdefgab>c" )
    play ( "<bagfedc" )

##Details The play procedure takes strings containing characters that specify notes, rests, sharps, flats and duration. The notes are the letters a to g (or A to G). A rest is p (for pause). A sharp is + and a flat is -. The durations are 1 (whole note), 2 (half note), 4 (quarter note), 8 (eight note) and 6 (sixteenth note). The character > raises to the next octave and < lowers. For example, this is the way to play C and then C sharp one octave above middle C with a rest between them, all in sixteenth notes: play(">6cpc+"). Blanks can be used for readability and are ignored by play.

Under some systems such as UNIX, the play procedure may have no effect.

The current (1999) implementation does not support play.

##See also the playdone.html function, which is used to see if a note has finished sounding. See also the sound.html procedure.html, which makes a sound.html of a given frequency (Hertz) and duration (milliseconds).

See also predefined unit musicmodule.html.