Using a Piezo Buzzer — SIK Circuit 11

Play a song with a piezo buzzer! Learn about the tone() function, musical frequencies, arrays for storing melodies, and how to create your own tunes.

Instructions

Parts & Introduction

A piezo buzzer converts electrical signals into sound. Using Arduino's built-in tone() function, you can play specific musical frequencies. This sketch plays a simple melody using character arrays for notes and integer arrays for timing.

Parts Needed

1x Arduino Uno + USB cable
1x Breadboard
1x Piezo Buzzer
3x Jumper Wires

Note Frequency Reference

Note	Freq
c	262 Hz
d	294 Hz
e	330 Hz
f	349 Hz
g	392 Hz
a	440 Hz
b	494 Hz
C	523 Hz

Hardware Hookup

Wiring Instructions

Place the piezo buzzer in the breadboard. It has two pins — one marked with "+".
Connect the positive pin (+) to Arduino Digital Pin 9 (PWM).
Connect the negative pin to GND.

Tip: If the buzzer doesn't fit easily, try rotating it slightly to align with diagonal breadboard holes.

Arduino Code

Open the Arduino IDE and upload the following sketch to your Arduino board.

piezo_buzzer.inoarduino

/*
SparkFun Inventor's Kit
Example sketch 11 — BUZZER

Use the buzzer to play a song!

Hardware connections:
  Buzzer positive pin (+) to digital pin 9 (PWM)
  Buzzer negative pin to GND

This code is completely free for any use.
*/

const int buzzerPin = 9;

const int songLength = 18;

char notes[] = "cdfda ag cdfdg gf ";  // space = rest

int beats[] = {1,1,1,1,1,1,4,4,2,1,1,1,1,1,1,4,4,2};

int tempo = 113;

void setup()
{
  pinMode(buzzerPin, OUTPUT);
}

void loop()
{
  int i, duration;

  for (i = 0; i < songLength; i++)
  {
    duration = beats[i] * tempo;

    if (notes[i] == ' ')
    {
      delay(duration);
    }
    else
    {
      tone(buzzerPin, frequency(notes[i]), duration);
      delay(duration);
    }
    delay(tempo/10);
  }

  while(true){}  // Play once, then stop. Remove this line to loop.
}

int frequency(char note)
{
  int i;
  const int numNotes = 8;

  char names[] = { 'c', 'd', 'e', 'f', 'g', 'a', 'b', 'C' };
  int frequencies[] = {262, 294, 330, 349, 392, 440, 494, 523};

  for (i = 0; i < numNotes; i++)
  {
    if (names[i] == note)
    {
      return(frequencies[i]);
    }
  }
  return(0);
}

Test & Experiment

What You Should See

You won't see anything — but you'll hear a melody playing from the buzzer! The song plays once and stops.

Troubleshooting

No sound: The buzzer pins are easy to misplace on the breadboard. Double-check placement and make sure both pins have good contact.
Want it to stop: Pull the buzzer out while working on other things, plug it back in to test.

Experiments to Try

Remove the while(true){} line to make the song loop continuously.
Write your own melody by changing the notes[] and beats[] arrays.
Add more notes by expanding the frequency() function with sharps and flats.
Use a button (from Circuit 5) to trigger the melody on demand.

Materials

•SparkFun Inventor's Kit - V3.2 - 1 kitNOK 999.20
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•Arduino Uno R3 - 1 piecePlaceholder
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•Breadboard - 1 piecePlaceholder
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•Piezo Buzzer - 1 piece
•Jumper Wires - 3 piecessNOK 39.20
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Tools Required

Computer with Arduino IDE

CC0 Public Domain

This blueprint is released under CC0. You are free to copy, modify, distribute, and use this work for any purpose, without asking permission.

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