SoundNote

SoundNote[pitch]

represents a music-like sound note with the specified pitch.

SoundNote[pitch,t]

takes the note to have duration t.

SoundNote[pitch,{tmin,tmax}]

takes the note to occupy the time interval tmin to tmax.

SoundNote[pitch,tspec,"style"]

takes the note to be in the specified style.

SoundNote[pitch,tspec,"style",opts]

uses the specified rendering options for the note.

Details and Options

  • The pitch specification can be as follows:
  • 0middle C
    nn semitones from middle C
    "C", "C#", "D", etc.notes in the middle C octave
    "Cm", "C#m", "Dm", etc.notes in the m octave ("C4" is middle C)
    {p1,p2,…}a chord containing pitches pi
    Nonesilence (a musical rest)
    "percussion"a percussion event
  • The forms "C#", "C♯" (entered as \[Sharp]), and "CSharp" are all equivalent.
  • "Cb", "C♭" (entered as \[Flat]), and "CFlat" are also equivalent.
  • Negative numbers specify pitches below middle C.
  • The C one octave above middle C can be specified as 12 or "C5".
  • "C+4" is equivalent to "C4"; low notes can be specified as "C-1" etc.
  • SoundNote[pitch,t] specifies a total duration t; the actual sound of the note may decay before time t has elapsed.
  • SoundNote[pitch,tspec] normally is by default taken to be in a piano style.
  • Style s between 1 and 128 represents General MIDI instrument s.
  • Style {bank,patch,s} represents an instrument in the specified bank and patch.
  • In Sound, {"style",SoundNote[…],…} can be used to specify that many notes should be taken to be in the given style.
  • SoundNote[] by default represents middle C in piano style with duration 1 second.
  • Typical possible styles include:
  • "Accordion""Agogo""AltoSax""Applause"
    "Atmosphere""Bagpipe""Bandoneon""Banjo"
    "BaritoneSax""Bass""BassAndLead""Bassoon"
    "Bird""BlownBottle""Bowed""BrassSection"
    "Breath""Brightness""BrightPiano""Calliope"
    "Celesta""Cello""Charang""Chiff"
    "Choir""Clarinet""Clavi""Contrabass"
    "Crystal""DrawbarOrgan""Dulcimer""Echoes"
    "ElectricBass""ElectricGrandPiano""ElectricGuitar""ElectricPiano"
    "ElectricPiano2""EnglishHorn""Fiddle""Fifths"
    "Flute""FrenchHorn""FretlessBass""FretNoise"
    "Glockenspiel""Goblins""Guitar""GuitarDistorted"
    "GuitarHarmonics""GuitarMuted""GuitarOverdriven""Gunshot"
    "Halo""Harmonica""Harp""Harpsichord"
    "Helicopter""HonkyTonkPiano""JazzGuitar""Kalimba"
    "Koto""Marimba""MelodicTom""Metallic"
    "MusicBox""MutedTrumpet""NewAge""Oboe"
    "Ocarina""OrchestraHit""Organ""PanFlute"
    "PercussiveOrgan""Piano""Piccolo""PickedBass"
    "PizzicatoStrings""Polysynth""Rain""Recorder"
    "ReedOrgan""ReverseCymbal""RockOrgan""Sawtooth"
    "SciFi""Seashore""Shakuhachi""Shamisen"
    "Shanai""Sitar""SlapBass""SlapBass2"
    "SopranoSax""Soundtrack""Square""Steeldrums"
    "SteelGuitar""Strings""Strings2""Sweep"
    "SynthBass""SynthBass2""SynthBrass""SynthBrass2"
    "SynthDrum""SynthStrings""SynthStrings2""SynthVoice"
    "Taiko""Telephone""TenorSax""Timpani"
    "Tinklebell""TremoloStrings""Trombone""Trumpet"
    "Tuba""TubularBells""Vibraphone""Viola"
    "Violin""Voice""VoiceAahs""VoiceOohs"
    "Warm""Whistle""Woodblock""Xylophone"
  • Typical possible percussion events include:
  • "BassDrum""BassDrum2""BellTree""Cabasa"
    "Castanets""ChineseCymbal""Clap""Claves"
    "Cowbell""CrashCymbal""CrashCymbal2""ElectricSnare"
    "GuiroLong""GuiroShort""HighAgogo""HighBongo"
    "HighCongaMute""HighCongaOpen""HighFloorTom""HighTimbale"
    "HighTom""HighWoodblock""HiHatClosed""HiHatOpen"
    "HiHatPedal""JingleBell""LowAgogo""LowBongo"
    "LowConga""LowFloorTom""LowTimbale""LowTom"
    "LowWoodblock""Maracas""MetronomeBell""MetronomeClick"
    "MidTom""MidTom2""MuteCuica""MuteSurdo"
    "MuteTriangle""OpenCuica""OpenSurdo""OpenTriangle"
    "RideBell""RideCymbal""RideCymbal2""ScratchPull"
    "ScratchPush""Shaker""SideStick""Slap"
    "Snare""SplashCymbal""SquareClick""Sticks"
    "Tambourine""Vibraslap""WhistleLong""WhistleShort"
  • The option SoundVolume->v specifies a relative sound volume v for a note.
  • What notes can actually play as sounds may depend on the setup of your computer system.
  • The computable list of instruments is available in
    ResourceData["Wolfram Language SoundNote Styles"]
    .

Examples

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Basic Examples  (5)

Produce a middle C:

Produce a middle G for 1 second in a violin style:

Produce a chord for 1 second:

Produce a sequence of three notes:

Produce the sound of a bell tree:

Scope  (16)

Basic Notes and Chords  (6)

The note 7 semitones above middle C:

The note 7 semitones below middle C:

The G above middle C:

Middle C:

One octave above middle C:

One octave below middle C:

A chord of C and G:

A chord of C, E, G, and B♭:

A chord of D, F♯, A, and D:

Low and high C notes:

Lowest C typically supported:

Timing  (3)

C for 0.2 seconds, G for 0.3 seconds:

Notes with a rest in the middle:

Specify absolute times, with an overlap in the middle:

Instrumentation  (7)

Middle C on the organ for 1 second:

A sequence of two notes on two instruments:

Notes on two instruments, with overlap:

Give styles for multiple notes:

The Wolfram Language supports many instruments and sound effects:

Percussion is specified without a pitch:

Play middle C for 1 second using MIDI instrument 99:

Options  (1)

SoundVolume  (1)

Play a sequence of progressively louder notes:

Applications  (8)

Play a chromatic scale starting at middle C:

Play a scale on a violin, with each note taking 0.1 seconds:

Play the first 20 primes as notes in woodblock style:

Play the first notes in Beethoven's Fifth Symphony:

Play a sequence of five notes on a synthesizer:

Generate a sequence of random notes:

Generate a simple WolframTones-like composition:

Generate a random melody with random instruments:

Properties & Relations  (2)

Play a sampled waveform followed by a note:

Play a sampled sound and a note at the same time:

Possible Issues  (2)

The Wolfram Language renders MIDI notes even if they would not be played by the specified instrument:

The Wolfram Language specified the first MIDI instrument as 1, rather than 0:

Neat Examples  (5)

Play each of the first 15 MIDI instruments for 0.1 seconds:

Play all semitones in the middle octave together:

Play several octaves together:

Play a cellular automaton sound:

Play a random sequence of notes from different instruments:

Wolfram Research (2007), SoundNote, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/SoundNote.html.

Text

Wolfram Research (2007), SoundNote, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/SoundNote.html.

CMS

Wolfram Language. 2007. "SoundNote." Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Wolfram Research. https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/SoundNote.html.

APA

Wolfram Language. (2007). SoundNote. Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Retrieved from https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/SoundNote.html

BibTeX

@misc{reference.wolfram_2025_soundnote, author="Wolfram Research", title="{SoundNote}", year="2007", howpublished="\url{https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/SoundNote.html}", note=[Accessed: 20-February-2025 ]}

BibLaTeX

@online{reference.wolfram_2025_soundnote, organization={Wolfram Research}, title={SoundNote}, year={2007}, url={https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/SoundNote.html}, note=[Accessed: 20-February-2025 ]}