How to Make a Note Block in Minecraft

Guide Java Bedrock

Quick answer: Craft a note block with 8 planks of any wood surrounding 1 redstone dust in the center. Right-click it to tune the pitch, and power it with redstone to play.

What you need

8 planks (any wood, mixed works)
1 redstone dust

Step by step

Chop any tree and turn logs into planks: you need 8.
Mine redstone dust from deep redstone ore below Y=16.
Open a crafting table.
Fill every outer slot with planks, leaving the center free.
Place the redstone dust in the center slot.
Take the note block.

Java vs Bedrock

The note block recipe is identical in Java and Bedrock and accepts any mix of plank types. A note block plays a tone when powered or clicked: right-clicking raises the pitch up to two full octaves, and the block underneath picks the instrument: wood for bass, stone for drums, glass for clicks, wool for guitar, packed mud for flute and more. In Java, putting a player or mob head on top plays that mob's ambient sound, and allays dance to note blocks and drop duplicated items near them. Redstone musicians chain tuned note blocks with repeaters into full songs; survival players use one as a doorbell or a mob-farm alert.

Versions: javabedrock

Frequently asked questions

How do you change the instrument of a note block?

The block directly underneath decides the instrument: wood blocks give bass, stone gives drum sounds, glass gives clicks and sticks, wool gives guitar, packed mud gives flute, honeycomb gives flute-like tones, gold blocks give bells, and a mob or player head on top plays that creature's sound in Java.

What do note blocks do with allays?

A note block played near an allay makes it drop its carried items at that note block for 30 seconds, the core mechanic of allay item-sorting farms. Wool between the note block and the allay blocks the signal if you need to turn it off.

How many notes can a note block play?

Two full octaves: right-clicking cycles through 25 pitches from F#3 to F#5. The pitch resets if the block above it is obstructed or if you break and replace the note block.