If you really wanted to do this:

library("audio") bday_file <- tempfile() download.file("http://www.happybirthdaymusic.info/01_happy_birthday_song.wav", bday_file, mode = "wb") bday <- load.wave(bday_file) play(bday)

Note you'll need to install.packages("audio") first. If you already have a specific file, you'll need to convert it to WAV format first.

If you wanted something a bit more programmery than playing a WAV file, here's a version that generates the tune from a series of sine waves:

library("dplyr") library("audio") notes <- c(A = 0, B = 2, C = 3, D = 5, E = 7, F = 8, G = 10) pitch <- "D D E D G F# D D E D A G D D D5 B G F# E C5 C5 B G A G" duration <- c(rep(c(0.75, 0.25, 1, 1, 1, 2), 2), 0.75, 0.25, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 0.75, 0.25, 1, 1, 1, 2) bday <- data_frame(pitch = strsplit(pitch, " ")[[1]], duration = duration) bday <- bday %>% mutate(octave = substring(pitch, nchar(pitch)) %>% {suppressWarnings(as.numeric(.))} %>% ifelse(is.na(.), 4, .), note = notes[substr(pitch, 1, 1)], note = note + grepl("#", pitch) - grepl("b", pitch) + octave * 12 + 12 * (note < 3), freq = 2 ^ ((note - 60) / 12) * 440) tempo <- 120 sample_rate <- 44100 make_sine <- function(freq, duration) { wave <- sin(seq(0, duration / tempo * 60, 1 / sample_rate) * freq * 2 * pi) fade <- seq(0, 1, 50 / sample_rate) wave * c(fade, rep(1, length(wave) - 2 * length(fade)), rev(fade)) } bday_wave <- mapply(make_sine, bday$freq, bday$duration) %>% do.call("c", .) play(bday_wave)