# Tutorial 1: Playing Notes

In FoxDot, all two-character variable names are reserved for player objects, such as `p1`
Creating a Player Object with no arguments will play a single note on middle C, by default, repeatedly until stopped.
Use `>>` to give one of these to a player object like so:

``` python
p1 >> pluck()
```

To stop an individual player object, simply execute

``` python
p1.stop()
```

Besides the 2-character variables that are pre-reserved, you can create your
own with your own names

``` python
foo = Player()
foo >> pluck()
```

The `>>` in Python is usually reserved for a type of operation, like `+` or `-`, but it is not the case in FoxDot.
If a user re-executes the code, FoxDot will update `p1` instead of creating a PlayerObject,
which means you can make changes to your music using just one line of code.

If you now give your player object some arguments, you can change the notes being played back.
The first argument should be the degree of the note to be played
(default is the lowest note of octave 5 of the major scale) and does not need to be specified by name.

Python, like most programming languages, using zero-indexing when accessing values in an array,
which means that 0 refers to the first note of the scale.
Give your player object instructions to make music with their Synth.
The first argument is the note of the scale to play. The following code
plays the first three notes of the default scale (major) on repeat.

For a single note:

``` python
p1 >> pluck(0)
```

Or a list of notes:

``` python
p1 >> pluck([0,1,2])
```

But you’ll need to specify whatever else you want to change...

Such as note durations, or the length of each note:

``` python
p1 >> pluck([0,0,0], dur=[1,2,3])
```

Or amplitude, the "volume" of each note:

``` python
p1 >> pluck([0,0,0], amp=[1,2,3])
```

If the second list, the amp in this example, is too long, then the first list (the degree) just loops, and are matched with the remaining elements from the second list (the amplitude).

``` python
p1 >> pluck([0,2,4], amp=[1,2,3,1,5])
```

More generally, all the lists are traversed regardless of their length.

``` python
p1 >> pluck([0,2,4], dur=[1,2], amp=[1,2,3,1,5])
```

Arguments can be integers, floating points, fractions, lists, tuples, or a mix:

``` python
p1 >> pluck([0,0,0], dur=2)

p1 >> pluck([0,0,0], dur=1.743)

p1 >> pluck([0,0,0], dur=[0.25,0.5,0.75])

p1 >> pluck([0,0,0], dur=[1/4,1/2,3/4])

p1 >> pluck([0,0,0], dur=[1/4,0.25,3])
```

Lists of values are iterated over as the Player plays notes
The following duration equates to:  `1,2,3,1,4,3`
If you don't understand this yet, don't worry, more about patterns in the pattern tutorial

``` python
p1 >> pluck([0,0,0], dur=[1,[2,4],3])
```

Values in tuples are used simultaneously i.e. `p1` will play 3 individual notes, then a chord of 3 together at the same time.

``` python
p1 >> pluck([0,2,4,(0,2,4)])
```

You can also assign values to the attributes of player objects directly

``` python
p1.oct = 5
```

To see all the names of player attributes, just execute

``` python
print(Player.get_attributes())
```

More about those later in the player attributes tutorial

You could store several player instances and assign them at different times:

``` python
proxy_1 = pads([0,1,2,3], dur=1/2)
proxy_2 = pads([4,5,6,7], dur=1)

p1 >> proxy_1 # Assign the first to p1

p1 >> proxy_2 # This replaces the instructions being followed by p1
```

To play multiple sequences at once, just do the same things with another
Player object:

``` python
p1 >> pluck([0, 2, 3, 4], dur=1/2)

p2 >> pads([(0, 2, 4), (3, 5, 7)], dur=8)
```

Play only this player, muting others:

``` python
p1.solo() # default value is 1 (solo on)
```

And turn the solo off:

``` python
p1.solo(0)
```

Stop (not just mute) the other players

``` python
p1.only()
```

Use `Ctrl+.` to clear everything for the scheduling clock or run:

``` python
Clock.clear()
```