Template:BlockTileEntity
A note block is a musical block that emits sounds when powered with redstone.
Obtaining
Note blocks are most quickly broken with an axe.
| Block | Note Block | |
|---|---|---|
| Hardness | 0.8 | |
| Tool | ||
| Breaking time[A] | ||
| Default | 1.2 | |
| Wooden | 0.6 | |
| Stone | 0.3 | |
| Iron | 0.2 | |
| Diamond | 0.15 | |
| Netherite | 0.15 | |
| Golden | 0.1 | |
- ↑ Times are for unenchanted tools as wielded by players with no status effects, measured in seconds. For more information, see Breaking § Speed.
Crafting
| Ingredients | Crafting recipe |
|---|---|
| Any Wood Planks + Redstone |
Usage
Playing music
Notes
A note block being triggered and playing a note.
Note blocks play a colored musical note when hit or when powered by redstone. A note block must have at least one block of air above it to play a sound. Notes can be heard up to 48 blocks away.
Note blocks will play when next to a powered block. Each time a note block plays a note, a note particle will fly out of the top, with the color depending on the pitch.
Pressing use on the block increases the note pitch up a semitone, with a total of two full octaves (24 semitones) being available to play for each instrument (bass is two octaves (24 semitones) lower than the standard range, and the bells, chimes and xylophone are 2 octaves above the standard range, giving the player six octaves (72 semitones) of effective range if the player needs to combine instruments for higher pitch coverage). The range of notes span from F♯3 to F♯5. After reaching the highest note, pressing use again resets it back to F♯3, as does breaking the block and picking it back up. The exact pitch to pressing assignment is shown below.[1][2]
Note blocks cannot be moved by pistons.[Computer and Legacy Console editions only]
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Alternatively, there is a graphical version available:
You can roughly check the tuning of a block by looking at the note icon.
Instruments
The instrument played depends on the material of the block underneath the note block. Note that these are groups of blocks defined by the code, not just the individual block.
| Block material | Instrument | Sound names |
|---|---|---|
| Wooden blocks | String bass | block.note.bass |
| Sand or Gravel or Soulsand or Concrete Powder | Snare drum | block.note.snare |
| Glass blocks | Clicks and sticks | block.note.hat |
| Stone blocks | Bass drum | block.note.basedrum |
| Block of Gold [PC and Legacy Console editions only] | Bell | block.note.bell |
| Clay [PC and Legacy Console editions only] | Flute | block.note.flute |
| Packed Ice [PC and Legacy Console editions only] | Chime | block.note.chime |
| Wool [PC and Legacy Console editions only] | Guitar | block.note.guitar |
| Bone Block [PC and Legacy Console editions only] | Xylophone | block.note.xylophone |
| Any other material | Harp/piano | block.note.harp |
Powering note blocks
A pair of note blocks wired to a clock circuit to play alternately.
Note blocks can be powered in a variety of different ways following normal redstone principles, however some ways of powering note blocks are more convenient than others or produce unexpected results.
- When a note block is powered by a button on its side, it does play a note, but is often very difficult to hear since the sound of the button activating is so loud.
- Since note blocks need a space above them, note blocks powered by pressure plates or redstone directly above them do not make a sound.
Fuel
Note blocks can be used as a fuel in furnaces, smelting 1.5 items per block.
Data values
A note block has a block entity associated with it that holds additional data about the block. The block's block entity ID is noteblock.
Note Block/BE
Video
Note Block/video
History
| beta | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.2 | Added note blocks. | ||||
| release | |||||
| 1.9 | 15w34a | Their power state is now controlled through a tag, and therefore can be controlled independently of any redstone signal. | |||
| 1.11 | 16w32a | The block entity ID is changed from Music to noteblock. | |||
| 1.12 | 17w16a | Added sound events (but not the sounds themselves) for additional instruments (bell, chime, flute, guitar, xylophone). | |||
| 17w17a | Added sounds for additional instruments. | ||||
| Pocket Edition Alpha | |||||
| 0.13.0 | build 1 | Added note blocks. | |||
| 0.15.0 | build 1 | Note blocks can now be moved by pistons. | |||
| Legacy Console Edition | |||||
| TU1 | CU1 | 1.0 | Patch 1 | Patch s1 | Added note blocks. |
| TU53 | CU43 | 1.49 | Patch 23 | Patch s3 | Added new Note Block sounds. |
Issues
Issues relating to "Note block" or "Noteblock" are maintained on the bug tracker. Report issues there.
Trivia
- Note blocks start at the pitch F#, which is interesting since there are very few musical instruments tuned to F#.
- The sound files for the note blocks can be found in assets/sounds/note, you can see that the harp sound is named "harp" and also that there is an unused sound called "pling".
- You can tune a note block even if there is a block above it, however the note will not be seen nor will any sound be made.
See also
- Jukebox
- Minecraft Note Block Studio - A music editor for Minecraft.

