PLAY is a compact way to write a short tune or sound pattern as a string. The string uses the traditional BASIC idea of note letters, octave changes, tempo changes, and note lengths instead of one command per note.

A simple PLAY string can contain note letters such as C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. It can also contain controls such as T for tempo and O for octave. That makes it good for short melodies, jingles, alerts, and old-school game music.

The channel form starts the phrase on a chosen sfxlib channel. The multi-string forms are for simple layered playback, letting a program start more than one phrase together without writing a separate PLAY command for each one.