# How many notes can I play at once? **URL:** \ **Category:** Help\ **Created:** [November 12, 2020, 2:43pm UTC](https://forum.makecode.com/t/how-many-notes-can-i-play-at-once/4384 "2020-11-12T14:43:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![UnsignedArduino](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.makecode.com/unsignedarduino/32/592_2.png) [@UnsignedArduino](https://forum.makecode.com/u/UnsignedArduino)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2020, 2:43pm UTC](https://forum.makecode.com/t/how-many-notes-can-i-play-at-once/4384/1 "2020-11-12T14:43:48Z")
As the title says, how many notes can I play? I tried playing 7 notes at the same time using the `timers` extension and the audio starting glitching out. Anyone experience the same? Is there a away to play more, or will I have to sacrifice some notes? ---
**Author:** ![Dreadmask197](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.makecode.com/dreadmask197/32/10494_2.png) [@Dreadmask197](https://forum.makecode.com/u/Dreadmask197)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2020, 2:48pm UTC](https://forum.makecode.com/t/how-many-notes-can-i-play-at-once/4384/2 "2020-11-12T14:48:23Z")
I think it’s sacrifice. I know that you can play multiple notes on a piano but I can’t find a way to do it on arcade.makecode ---
**Author:** ![UnsignedArduino](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.makecode.com/unsignedarduino/32/592_2.png) [@UnsignedArduino](https://forum.makecode.com/u/UnsignedArduino)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2020, 2:49pm UTC](https://forum.makecode.com/t/how-many-notes-can-i-play-at-once/4384/3 "2020-11-12T14:49:35Z")
Hmmm, I was able to play 5 notes no problem. ---
**Author:** ![Dreadmask197](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.makecode.com/dreadmask197/32/10494_2.png) [@Dreadmask197](https://forum.makecode.com/u/Dreadmask197)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2020, 2:51pm UTC](https://forum.makecode.com/t/how-many-notes-can-i-play-at-once/4384/4 "2020-11-12T14:51:10Z")
Oh… problem solved? or is this infinite with the amount of notes you can play at the same time. I play the tuba as the smallest kid in band class. with the biggest instrument ---
**Author:** ![UnsignedArduino](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.makecode.com/unsignedarduino/32/592_2.png) [@UnsignedArduino](https://forum.makecode.com/u/UnsignedArduino)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2020, 2:55pm UTC](https://forum.makecode.com/t/how-many-notes-can-i-play-at-once/4384/5 "2020-11-12T14:55:34Z")
> [@Dreadmask197](#): > > I play the tuba as the smallest kid in band class. with the biggest instrument 😂 (Sorry for laughing, it’s rude) I play the piano and clarinet. I want to play 7 notes, but it glitches out. I think somewhere on an MakeCode Arcade Jam page it said that Arcade had a 4 channel sound synthesizer, so I was skeptical about whether it could play 5 or 7 notes. Apparently, it can play 5. Hmmm…I’ll probably just sacrifice the F#s in the chords at the end of the song. ---
**Author:** ![Dreadmask197](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.makecode.com/dreadmask197/32/10494_2.png) [@Dreadmask197](https://forum.makecode.com/u/Dreadmask197)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2020, 2:57pm UTC](https://forum.makecode.com/t/how-many-notes-can-i-play-at-once/4384/6 "2020-11-12T14:57:10Z")
Sounds good. Do you think they should add a bass clef to the music parts with the treble clef as well I guess ---
**Author:** ![UnsignedArduino](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.makecode.com/unsignedarduino/32/592_2.png) [@UnsignedArduino](https://forum.makecode.com/u/UnsignedArduino)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2020, 2:59pm UTC](https://forum.makecode.com/t/how-many-notes-can-i-play-at-once/4384/7 "2020-11-12T14:59:17Z")
> [@Dreadmask197](#): > > Do you think they should add a bass clef to the music parts with the treble clef as well I guess What do you mean? Like a `play note F#3 on channel 1`? Or like `play note F# on treble clef octave 3`? ---
**Author:** ![Dreadmask197](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.makecode.com/dreadmask197/32/10494_2.png) [@Dreadmask197](https://forum.makecode.com/u/Dreadmask197)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2020, 3:02pm UTC](https://forum.makecode.com/t/how-many-notes-can-i-play-at-once/4384/8 "2020-11-12T15:02:29Z")
I mean like a regular bass clef. I know I play like 50 notes under the regular treble clef but I want like a new bass clef where you can play under those bars as well ---
**Author:** ![UnsignedArduino](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.makecode.com/unsignedarduino/32/592_2.png) [@UnsignedArduino](https://forum.makecode.com/u/UnsignedArduino)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2020, 3:03pm UTC](https://forum.makecode.com/t/how-many-notes-can-i-play-at-once/4384/9 "2020-11-12T15:03:53Z")
Ahhh, so you want an octave selector in the notes selector? Yea, I just have a table that converts like `F#5` to whatever frequency it is. ---
**Author:** ![Dreadmask197](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.makecode.com/dreadmask197/32/10494_2.png) [@Dreadmask197](https://forum.makecode.com/u/Dreadmask197)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2020, 3:05pm UTC](https://forum.makecode.com/t/how-many-notes-can-i-play-at-once/4384/10 "2020-11-12T15:05:21Z")
Hmm… That’s pretty cool ---
**Author:** ![Dreadmask197](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.makecode.com/dreadmask197/32/10494_2.png) [@Dreadmask197](https://forum.makecode.com/u/Dreadmask197)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2020, 3:06pm UTC](https://forum.makecode.com/t/how-many-notes-can-i-play-at-once/4384/11 "2020-11-12T15:06:56Z")
[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/LKALcthKSwA/hqdefault.jpg "[Breaks] - Noisestorm - Sentinel [Monstercat Release]") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKALcthKSwA) I really like this song so I was thinking of making some music out of this ---
**Author:** ![Dreadmask197](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.makecode.com/dreadmask197/32/10494_2.png) [@Dreadmask197](https://forum.makecode.com/u/Dreadmask197)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2020, 3:07pm UTC](https://forum.makecode.com/t/how-many-notes-can-i-play-at-once/4384/12 "2020-11-12T15:07:43Z")
I don’t want to copy the song, I want to give myself a challenge and try to remake it ---
**Author:** ![UnsignedArduino](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.makecode.com/unsignedarduino/32/592_2.png) [@UnsignedArduino](https://forum.makecode.com/u/UnsignedArduino)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2020, 3:15pm UTC](https://forum.makecode.com/t/how-many-notes-can-i-play-at-once/4384/13 "2020-11-12T15:15:56Z")
This is the problematic script: > **[Chord test](https://arcade.makecode.com/03446-38543-94180-84143)** > > Made with ❤️ in Microsoft MakeCode Arcade. There are seven notes. They are all `D`s I think, but they aren’t supposed to be. Am I registering too many `separately do`s @darzu? (Sorry for the ping if you are busy) Or is this a bug? ---
**Author:** ![UnsignedArduino](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.makecode.com/unsignedarduino/32/592_2.png) [@UnsignedArduino](https://forum.makecode.com/u/UnsignedArduino)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2020, 5:47pm UTC](https://forum.makecode.com/t/how-many-notes-can-i-play-at-once/4384/14 "2020-11-12T17:47:54Z")
Yes, I figured it out! Apparently, you can only play notes up to 2000 milliseconds. Even if it’s 2001 milliseconds it will glitch out. Hope this will help someone out. ---
**Author:** ![Dreadmask197](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.makecode.com/dreadmask197/32/10494_2.png) [@Dreadmask197](https://forum.makecode.com/u/Dreadmask197)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2020, 5:54pm UTC](https://forum.makecode.com/t/how-many-notes-can-i-play-at-once/4384/15 "2020-11-12T17:54:17Z")
big brains. you got smarts ---
**Author:** ![darzu](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.makecode.com/darzu/32/1882_2.png) [@darzu](https://forum.makecode.com/u/darzu)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2020, 9:05pm UTC](https://forum.makecode.com/t/how-many-notes-can-i-play-at-once/4384/16 "2020-11-12T21:05:01Z")
Currently the limit on simultaneous audio channels is 5 I believe: > (thanks @jwunderl) ---
**Author:** ![UnsignedArduino](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.makecode.com/unsignedarduino/32/592_2.png) [@UnsignedArduino](https://forum.makecode.com/u/UnsignedArduino)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2020, 9:06pm UTC](https://forum.makecode.com/t/how-many-notes-can-i-play-at-once/4384/17 "2020-11-12T21:06:19Z")
So technically, if you changed `MAX_SOUNDS` to like 7, would it work? ---
**Author:** ![jwunderl](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.makecode.com/jwunderl/32/5308_2.png) [@jwunderl](https://forum.makecode.com/u/jwunderl)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2020, 9:09pm UTC](https://forum.makecode.com/t/how-many-notes-can-i-play-at-once/4384/18 "2020-11-12T21:09:28Z")
If I recall correctly the count is entirely arbitrary so we could probably increase it a bit without any real issue (@mmoskal to confirm) ---
**Author:** ![mmoskal](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.makecode.com/mmoskal/32/20_2.png) [@mmoskal](https://forum.makecode.com/u/mmoskal)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2020, 9:27pm UTC](https://forum.makecode.com/t/how-many-notes-can-i-play-at-once/4384/19 "2020-11-12T21:27:56Z")
Yes, it’s arbitrary, but I think even now with maybe 3 sounds it’s hard to hear anything on hardware. It may be better in browser.