---
title: Play (v1.1)
description: API reference for qiskit.pulse.instructions.Play in qiskit v1.1
source: https://eu-de.quantum.cloud.ibm.com/docs/en/api/qiskit/1.1/qiskit.pulse.instructions.Play
---

# Play

*class* `qiskit.pulse.instructions.Play(pulse, channel, name=None)`

[GitHub](https://github.com/Qiskit/qiskit/tree/stable/1.1/qiskit/pulse/instructions/play.py#L26-L97)

Bases: [`Instruction`](/docs/api/qiskit/1.1/pulse#qiskit.pulse.instructions.Instruction "qiskit.pulse.instructions.instruction.Instruction")

This instruction is responsible for applying a pulse on a channel.

The pulse specifies the exact time dynamics of the output signal envelope for a limited time. The output is modulated by a phase and frequency which are controlled by separate instructions. The pulse duration must be fixed, and is implicitly given in terms of the cycle time, dt, of the backend.

Create a new pulse instruction.

**Parameters**

- **pulse** (*Pulse*) – A pulse waveform description, such as [`Waveform`](/docs/api/qiskit/1.1/qiskit.pulse.library.Waveform "qiskit.pulse.library.Waveform").
- **channel** (*PulseChannel*) – The channel to which the pulse is applied.
- **name** ([*str*](https://docs.python.org/3/library/stdtypes.html#str) *| None*) – Name of the instruction for display purposes. Defaults to `pulse.name`.

## Attributes

### channel

Return the [`Channel`](/docs/api/qiskit/1.1/pulse#qiskit.pulse.channels.Channel "qiskit.pulse.channels.Channel") that this instruction is scheduled on.

### channels

Returns the channels that this schedule uses.

### duration

Duration of this instruction.

### id

Unique identifier for this instruction.

### instructions

Iterable for getting instructions from Schedule tree.

### name

Name of this instruction.

### operands

Return instruction operands.

### parameters

Parameters which determine the instruction behavior.

### pulse

A description of the samples that will be played.

### start\_time

Relative begin time of this instruction.

### stop\_time

Relative end time of this instruction.

## Methods

### append

`append(schedule, name=None)`

[GitHub](https://github.com/Qiskit/qiskit/tree/stable/1.1/qiskit/pulse/instructions/instruction.py#L185-L198)

Return a new [`Schedule`](/docs/api/qiskit/1.1/qiskit.pulse.Schedule "qiskit.pulse.Schedule") with `schedule` inserted at the maximum time over all channels shared between `self` and `schedule`.

**Parameters**

- **schedule** (*Union\['Schedule', 'Instruction']*) – Schedule or instruction to be appended
- **name** ([*str*](https://docs.python.org/3/library/stdtypes.html#str) *| None*) – Name of the new schedule. Defaults to name of self

**Returns**

A new schedule with `schedule` a this instruction at t=0.

**Return type**

[Schedule](/docs/api/qiskit/1.1/qiskit.pulse.Schedule "qiskit.pulse.Schedule")

### ch\_duration

`ch_duration(*channels)`

[GitHub](https://github.com/Qiskit/qiskit/tree/stable/1.1/qiskit/pulse/instructions/instruction.py#L112-L118)

Return duration of the supplied channels in this Instruction.

**Parameters**

**\*channels** ([*Channel*](/docs/api/qiskit/1.1/pulse#qiskit.pulse.channels.Channel "qiskit.pulse.channels.Channel")) – Supplied channels

**Return type**

[int](https://docs.python.org/3/library/functions.html#int)

### ch\_start\_time

`ch_start_time(*channels)`

[GitHub](https://github.com/Qiskit/qiskit/tree/stable/1.1/qiskit/pulse/instructions/instruction.py#L120-L127)

Return minimum start time for supplied channels.

**Parameters**

**\*channels** ([*Channel*](/docs/api/qiskit/1.1/pulse#qiskit.pulse.channels.Channel "qiskit.pulse.channels.Channel")) – Supplied channels

**Return type**

[int](https://docs.python.org/3/library/functions.html#int)

### ch\_stop\_time

`ch_stop_time(*channels)`

[GitHub](https://github.com/Qiskit/qiskit/tree/stable/1.1/qiskit/pulse/instructions/instruction.py#L129-L137)

Return maximum start time for supplied channels.

**Parameters**

**\*channels** ([*Channel*](/docs/api/qiskit/1.1/pulse#qiskit.pulse.channels.Channel "qiskit.pulse.channels.Channel")) – Supplied channels

**Return type**

[int](https://docs.python.org/3/library/functions.html#int)

### insert

`insert(start_time, schedule, name=None)`

[GitHub](https://github.com/Qiskit/qiskit/tree/stable/1.1/qiskit/pulse/instructions/instruction.py#L167-L183)

Return a new [`Schedule`](/docs/api/qiskit/1.1/qiskit.pulse.Schedule "qiskit.pulse.Schedule") with `schedule` inserted within `self` at `start_time`.

**Parameters**

- **start\_time** ([*int*](https://docs.python.org/3/library/functions.html#int)) – Time to insert the schedule schedule
- **schedule** (*Union\['Schedule', 'Instruction']*) – Schedule or instruction to insert
- **name** ([*str*](https://docs.python.org/3/library/stdtypes.html#str) *| None*) – Name of the new schedule. Defaults to name of self

**Returns**

A new schedule with `schedule` inserted with this instruction at t=0.

**Return type**

[Schedule](/docs/api/qiskit/1.1/qiskit.pulse.Schedule "qiskit.pulse.Schedule")

### is\_parameterized

`is_parameterized()`

[GitHub](https://github.com/Qiskit/qiskit/tree/stable/1.1/qiskit/pulse/instructions/instruction.py#L219-L221)

Return True iff the instruction is parameterized.

**Return type**

[bool](https://docs.python.org/3/library/functions.html#bool)

### shift

`shift(time, name=None)`

[GitHub](https://github.com/Qiskit/qiskit/tree/stable/1.1/qiskit/pulse/instructions/instruction.py#L151-L165)

Return a new schedule shifted forward by time.

**Parameters**

- **time** ([*int*](https://docs.python.org/3/library/functions.html#int)) – Time to shift by
- **name** ([*str*](https://docs.python.org/3/library/stdtypes.html#str) *| None*) – Name of the new schedule. Defaults to name of self

**Returns**

The shifted schedule.

**Return type**

[Schedule](/docs/api/qiskit/1.1/qiskit.pulse.Schedule "qiskit.pulse.Schedule")