`music` — Playing Music

This module supports the playing of music stored as notation files. This module is fully compatible with the micro:bit.

Module music

Example Usage:

# Plays a series of notes using a loudspeaker module connected to Pin P1
import music
from machine import Pin

notes_list = ['e4', 'f#', 'g', 'a', 'b', 'c5', 'd', 'e'] # The notes to be played
music.play(notes_list, Pin('P1')) # Play the notes on the loudspeaker

Music Functions

music.play(notes, pin=None, wait=True, loop=False)

Plays the music given by notes on the pin using pulse-width-modulation (PWM).

notes can be a string, such as "c1:4", or a list of notes as strings, such as [“c”,”d”,”e”] The duration and octave values are reset to their defaults (of 4 each) before the music is played.

pin is the ouput pin created by machine.Pin, or can be a string, one of (‘P1’, ‘P2’, ‘P3A’, ‘P3B’, ‘P4’, or ‘P5’). The output pin can be used to override the default pin=None which prevents sounds from being played.

If wait is set to True, playing is blocking, and the music will be played to the end.

If loop is set to True, the music repeats until the function music.stop() is called. Set wait to False to use this.

An individual note is specified as: NOTE[octave][:duration].

Notes are written as a string with quotes: e.g. "c4:8". This is a c note in octave 4 with a duration of 8 ticks (a minim or 2 crotchet beats).
Notes are the letters a to g with or without an accidental (# for a sharp, b for a flat).
Lower case or upper case notes are the same. eg. A and a are the same. Ab is A-flat and C# is C-sharp.
Use r or R for a rest (silence).
If the octave is left out it defaults to 4 (containing middle C).
If the duration is left out it defaults to 4 (a crotchet).
For example, a2:4 refers to the note “A” in octave 2 that lasts for four ticks (a tick is an arbitrary length of time defined by a tempo setting function).
The octave and duration parameters are states that carry over to subsequent notes until re-specified. e.g. [‘c4:1’, ‘e’, ‘g:8’] The e is octave 4 for 1 tick. The g is octave 4 for 8 ticks.

music.set_tempo(ticks=4, bpm=120)

Sets the tempo for playback.

The number of ticks, expressed as an integer, make a beat. The default is 4 ticks per beat.

bpm is the tempo for each beat, in beats per minute, expressed as an integer. The default is 120 bpm.

music.get_tempo()

Gets the current tempo as a tuple of integers: (bpm, ticks).

To display the tuple from get_tempo it can be converted to a string:

display.print(str(music.get_tempo()))
# Will print the default values as '(120,4)'

Tuple unpacking can be used instead of indices:

bpm, ticks = music.get_tempo()
# Assigns default values to variable bpm and ticks respectively

music.stop(pin=None)

Stops all music playback on the built-in speaker and any pin outputting sound.

This is used in conjunction with the functions music.play() or music.pitch() when the wait=False argument is used so that the music plays in the background, and particularly must be used to stop music playing when the loop=True argument is used in which case the music loops forever.

An optional argument pin can be provided to specify a particular pin:

music.stop(pin='P1').

music.reset(): Resets the state of the following attributes to: ticks = 4; bpm = 120; duration = 4; octave = 4

music.pitch(frequency, duration=-1, pin=pin0, wait=True)

Plays a pitch at the integer frequency given for the duration specified in milliseconds.

Only one pitch can be played on one pin at any one time.

If duration is negative the pitch is played continuously until either the blocking call is interrupted or, in the case of a background call, a new frequency is set or music.stop() is called.

An optional argument to specify the output pin can be used to override the default of ``None``which causes no sound to play.

If wait is set to True, this function is blocking and the script will wait for the sound to complete. If wait is set to False the script will continue with the sound playing in the background until completion or until music.stop() is called.

Some Music Tunes

The Kookaberry is usally shipped with a library of tunes musictunes in the /lib folder.

This script will access that library and play any particular tune selected:

# Demonstration of the Kookaberry Music functionality
# A loudspeaker is attached to plug P2
# Begin code
import machine, kooka, musictunes, music, fonts
p = musictunes.tunes.keys() # A dictionary of tunes
names = sorted(list(p)) # Sort the tunes by name in alphabetic order
ptr = 0 # Initialises the tune pointer
disp = kooka.display # Creates the display object
spkrpin = 'P2' # The loudspeaker pin - attach a loudspeaker module
# The main loop begins here
while not kooka.button_a.was_pressed():
    # Display the static text
    disp.fill(0)
    disp.setfont(fonts.mono8x8)
    disp.text('Music Demo', 0, 6)
    disp.setfont(fonts.mono5x5)
    disp.text('Plug Speaker into %s' % spkrpin, 0, 16)
    disp.setfont(fonts.mono6x7)
    disp.text('X', 0, 60) # button A exits the script
    disp.text('Prev', 20, 60) # button C navigates to the previous tune
    disp.text('Next', 55, 60) # button D navigates to the next tune
    disp.text('Play', 95, 60) # button B plays the current tune
    disp.setfont(fonts.mono8x8)
    disp.text('%s' % names[ptr], 0, 30) # Display the name of the current tune
    disp.text('%d of %d' % (ptr+1, len(names)), 20, 50)  # Display the tune number and total tunes

    # Navigate using the C and D buttons
    if kooka.button_c.was_pressed(): ptr = max(0, ptr-1)
    if kooka.button_d.was_pressed(): ptr = min(len(names)-1, ptr+1)
    # Play the current tune using button B
    if kooka.button_b.was_pressed(): music.play(musictunes.tunes[names[ptr]], pin=machine.Pin(spkrpin))

    disp.show() # Update the physical Display

This script is the contents of the musictunes library module:

tunes ={
       'BA_DING' : ('b5:1', 'e6:3'),
       'BADDY' : ('c3:3', 'r', 'd:2', 'd#', 'r', 'c', 'r', 'f#:8'),
       'BIRTHDAY' : ('c4:3', 'c:1', 'd:4', 'c:4', 'f', 'e:8', 'c:3', 'c:1', 'd:4', 'c:4', 'g', 'f:8', 'c:3', 'c:1', 'c5:4', 'a4', 'f', 'e', 'd', 'a#:3', 'a#:1', 'a:4', 'f', 'g', 'f:8'),
       'BLUES' : ('c2:2', 'e', 'g', 'a', 'a#', 'a', 'g', 'e', 'c2:2', 'e', 'g', 'a', 'a#', 'a', 'g', 'e', 'f', 'a', 'c3', 'd', 'd#', 'd', 'c', 'a2', 'c2:2', 'e', 'g', 'a', 'a#', 'a', 'g', 'e', 'g', 'b', 'd3', 'f', 'f2', 'a', 'c3', 'd#', 'c2:2', 'e', 'g', 'e', 'g', 'f', 'e', 'd'),
       'CHASE' : ('a4:1', 'b', 'c5', 'b4', 'a:2', 'r', 'a:1', 'b', 'c5', 'b4', 'a:2', 'r', 'a:2', 'e5', 'd#', 'e', 'f', 'e', 'd#', 'e', 'b4:1', 'c5', 'd', 'c', 'b4:2', 'r', 'b:1', 'c5', 'd', 'c', 'b4:2', 'r', 'b:2', 'e5', 'd#', 'e', 'f', 'e', 'd#', 'e'),
       'DADADADUM' : ('r4:2', 'g', 'g', 'g', 'eb:8', 'r:2', 'f', 'f', 'f', 'd:8'),
       'ENTERTAINER' : ('d4:1', 'd#', 'e', 'c5:2', 'e4:1', 'c5:2', 'e4:1', 'c5:3', 'c:1', 'd', 'd#', 'e', 'c', 'd', 'e:2', 'b4:1', 'd5:2', 'c:4'),
       'FUNERAL' : ('c3:4', 'c:3', 'c:1', 'c:4', 'd#:3', 'd:1', 'd:3', 'c:1', 'c:3', 'b2:1', 'c3:4'),
       'FUNK' : ('c2:2', 'c', 'd#', 'c:1', 'f:2', 'c:1', 'f:2', 'f#', 'g', 'c', 'c', 'g', 'c:1', 'f#:2', 'c:1', 'f#:2', 'f', 'd#'),
       'JUMP_DOWN' : ('g5:1', 'f', 'e', 'd', 'c'),
       'JUMP_UP' : ('c5:1', 'd', 'e', 'f', 'g'),
       'NYAN' : ('f#5:2', 'g#', 'c#:1', 'd#:2', 'b4:1', 'd5:1', 'c#', 'b4:2', 'b', 'c#5', 'd', 'd:1', 'c#', 'b4:1', 'c#5:1', 'd#', 'f#', 'g#', 'd#', 'f#', 'c#', 'd', 'b4', 'c#5', 'b4', 'd#5:2', 'f#', 'g#:1', 'd#', 'f#', 'c#', 'd#', 'b4', 'd5', 'd#', 'd', 'c#', 'b4', 'c#5', 'd:2', 'b4:1', 'c#5', 'd#', 'f#', 'c#', 'd', 'c#', 'b4', 'c#5:2', 'b4', 'c#5', 'b4', 'f#:1', 'g#', 'b:2', 'f#:1', 'g#', 'b', 'c#5', 'd#', 'b4', 'e5', 'd#', 'e', 'f#', 'b4:2', 'b', 'f#:1', 'g#', 'b', 'f#', 'e5', 'd#', 'c#', 'b4', 'f#', 'd#', 'e', 'f#', 'b:2', 'f#:1', 'g#', 'b:2', 'f#:1', 'g#', 'b', 'b', 'c#5', 'd#', 'b4', 'f#', 'g#', 'f#', 'b:2', 'b:1', 'a#', 'b', 'f#', 'g#', 'b', 'e5', 'd#', 'e', 'f#', 'b4:2', 'c#5'),
       'ODE' : ('e4', 'e', 'f', 'g', 'g', 'f', 'e', 'd', 'c', 'c', 'd', 'e', 'e:6', 'd:2', 'd:8', 'e:4', 'e', 'f', 'g', 'g', 'f', 'e', 'd', 'c', 'c', 'd', 'e', 'd:6', 'c:2', 'c:8'),
       'POWER_DOWN' : ('g5:1', 'd#', 'c', 'g4:2', 'b:1', 'c5:3'),
       'POWER_UP' : ('g4:1', 'c5', 'e', 'g:2', 'e:1', 'g:3'),
       'PRELUDE' : ('c4:1', 'e', 'g', 'c5', 'e', 'g4', 'c5', 'e', 'c4', 'e', 'g', 'c5', 'e', 'g4', 'c5', 'e', 'c4', 'd', 'g', 'd5', 'f', 'g4', 'd5', 'f', 'c4', 'd', 'g', 'd5', 'f', 'g4', 'd5', 'f', 'b3', 'd4', 'g', 'd5', 'f', 'g4', 'd5', 'f', 'b3', 'd4', 'g', 'd5', 'f', 'g4', 'd5', 'f', 'c4', 'e', 'g', 'c5', 'e', 'g4', 'c5', 'e', 'c4', 'e', 'g', 'c5', 'e', 'g4', 'c5', 'e'),
       'PUNCHLINE' : ('c4:3', 'g3:1', 'f#', 'g', 'g#:3', 'g', 'r', 'b', 'c4'),
       'PYTHON' : ('d5:1', 'b4', 'r', 'b', 'b', 'a#', 'b', 'g5', 'r', 'd', 'd', 'r', 'b4', 'c5', 'r', 'c', 'c', 'r', 'd', 'e:5', 'c:1', 'a4', 'r', 'a', 'a', 'g#', 'a', 'f#5', 'r', 'e', 'e', 'r', 'c', 'b4', 'r', 'b', 'b', 'r', 'c5', 'd:5', 'd:1', 'b4', 'r', 'b', 'b', 'a#', 'b', 'b5', 'r', 'g', 'g', 'r', 'd', 'c#', 'r', 'a', 'a', 'r', 'a', 'a:5', 'g:1', 'f#:2', 'a:1', 'a', 'g#', 'a', 'e:2', 'a:1', 'a', 'g#', 'a', 'd', 'r', 'c#', 'd', 'r', 'c#', 'd:2', 'r:3'),
       'RINGTONE' : ('c4:1', 'd', 'e:2', 'g', 'd:1', 'e', 'f:2', 'a', 'e:1', 'f', 'g:2', 'b', 'c5:4'),
       'WAWAWAWAA' : ('e3:3', 'r:1', 'd#:3', 'r:1', 'd:4', 'r:1', 'c#:8'),
       'WEDDING' : ('c4:4', 'f:3', 'f:1', 'f:8', 'c:4', 'g:3', 'e:1', 'f:8', 'c:4', 'f:3', 'a:1', 'c5:4', 'a4:3', 'f:1', 'f:4', 'e:3', 'f:1', 'g:8')
       }

music — Playing Music

Module music

Music Functions

Some Music Tunes

`music` — Playing Music