Note Block

A note block is a block that emits sounds when , , or powered. The sound produced can be altered in various ways by using it or putting certain blocks directly above or below it. Allays are affected by note blocks, staying nearby and dropping held items next to it for a short while upon hearing its sound.

Breaking

Note blocks are most quickly broken with an axe.

Natural generation

Note blocks can generate in ancient cities.

Instruments

The instrument played depends on the block placed directly underneath the note block. Mob heads must instead be placed on top of the note block. Mob head instruments take priority over block instruments, and play the corresponding mob's sound, except for creeper heads, which instead trigger the sound. Mob head sounds are not affected by the note block's pitch.

Activating note blocks

to play alternately]] Note blocks can be activated in a variety of different ways, following normal redstone principles. Note blocks conduct redstone power, which means they activate blocks next to them when directly powered, including other note blocks. , after activating a note block or changing its pitch (via ), the change is treated as a block state change. This immediately plays the sound and generates a block update detectable by both observers and block update detectors (BUDs). An observer facing a note block will trigger whenever the note block is , powered by redstone, or its instrument/pitch changes. Because note blocks conduct power, they can be integrated into complex observer-based circuits as conditional triggers or signal routers. , due to a known bug, activating a note block or changing its pitch (via ) does not trigger a block update, meaning neither observers nor BUDs can detect the change. This occurs because pitch and instrument data are stored as block entity data, which updates independently of the main world loop. In circuits requiring a redstone-triggered or manually activated block updates (e.g., flying machines), bells are often used as substitutes in most situations.

Sculk detection

Note blocks emit vibrations detectable by sculk sensors. A calibrated sculk sensor tuned to signal strength 10 detects a note playing. , sculk sensors provide the only reliable method of detecting both note block activations and pitch changes for redstone, since observers and BUDs cannot register these events.

Interaction with allays

If an allay hears a note block play within 16 blocks of its location, it tries to pathfind to it. It will then spend 30 seconds near that particular note block, seeking items around it and dropping them near the note block instead of its player. After 30 seconds, the allay returns to targeting its player unless the note block is played again. A vibration particle emanates from the note block and reaches the allay to indicate that the allay has locked onto the note block. Because the allay and the note block interact via a vibration particle, placing wool between the note block and the allay can prevent this interaction. Allays ignore note blocks which do not make sounds, with the exception of note blocks with player heads on top.