Coding & Computers Building an Easy Piano

Build Your Own Piano

Up to 1 hour

All ages

What Will You Learn?

This is actually two projects in one. Choose whichever fits your camp better, or mash them up for a richer experience!

Super Easy Floor Piano

This super simple floor piano only takes about 10 minutes to set up! Grab some HVAC tape from your local hardware store. and get ready to make a super quick and super easy floor piano you can play with your feet!

(Please note that the edge of HVAC tape can me be very sharp and please advise others creating with this tape.)

Oversized and Portable Full Scale Floor Piano

This large scale (see what we did there?) piano takes about one hour to set up. It works great on Eric’s MK1 Sampling Keyboard for Makey Makey or this Scratch game we made.

Building the Easy Version

Step 1

Use this aluminum tape to make 6 piano keys on the floor about two feet in length. Then run a strip of foil tape along the bottom to be your EARTH connection. This EARTH connection is what will bridge the circuit so you can play each note individually.

Step 2

We ran the tape on the bottom and folded the corner to run our EARTH to the top, so the alligator clips would all be out of the way when people are playing this piano with their feet. You need to fold the tape and not tear it as the adhesive is not conductive on HVAC tape.

Step 3

To make it look more like a piano and protect other players from the sharp edges of the tape, you can use duct tape to cover the sharp edges and run one piece of duct tape across the bottom.between the key presses and EARTH.

Step 4

Attach an each alligator clip to each foil strip then match each piano key to the piano app. Then make sure to connect EARTH to the grounding strip. The template should help you with your set up.

Step 5

When you step (in socked or bare feet) on a piano key with your heel on EARTH, you will complete the circuit and play a piano note! Step on each key to play each note.

Step 6

(How does this work? Makey Makey works by connecting alligator clips to everyday things that have some conductivity. One conductive touchpad is connected to EARTH and the each strip of tape is connected to a key press. When your foot touches both the EARTH strip and a key press, your body is actually the conductive material that closes the circuit and makes Makey Makey work! )

Building the Oversized Version

Step 1: Create a Background

Create a background for your large scale floor piano with a large piece of cardboard and butcher paper. This will make your whole set up transportable!

If you want to roll up your piano, just make this whole build on a yoga mat!

Step 2: Create Piano Keys

Grab a roll of kitchen foil to make piano keys. We pulled out about 24″ and then cut that piece in half to make each key for our scale.
Space each foil out on your background before attaching to make sure you have good spacing! See picture 1.
Check to make sure none of your foil keys are touching each other, then use a glue stick to adhere each key to your background like in Picture 2. Wrap each key press around to the back side of your backdrop.
Attach a wire to each key press at the top edge of the cardboard as in picture 3. Use a small white hook up wire from your Makey Makey kit for each key press. Use some conductive fabric tape or copper tape to attach the metal part of the wire to the aluminum foil key press. (Note: You cannot use the HVAC tape for this as the conductive is not adhesive. So make sure the conductive tape you use also has conductive adhesive. This will ensure a good connection.)
Create an EARTH strip with HVAC tape or conductive fabric tape. Each key press will be activated when a socked foot (or barefoot) steps on the earth strip and the key. So make sure your EARTH is close to each key, but not touching. To keep our wires safe, we ran the EARTH strip underneath the key presses, then folded the corner at the end and ran EARTH to the top of our backdrop. You can elbow patch two pieces of HVAC tape together with conductive fabric tape to make your EARTH strip wider if needed. Full scale in picture 4.
NOTE: HVAC tape is sharp on the edges! Make sure to smooth it down or cover the edges of the tape with Duct tape.

Step 3: Hooking up Makey Makey to the Full Scale

To hook this up to Eric’s MK1 Sampling Keyboard for Makey Makey, follow the template below. Attach your STEM pack extra long alligator clips to the exposed end of your hook up wire and attach each key to Makey Makey as indicated in picture 2.
Insulate each key press with duct tape and hook up a keyboard to start playing with your feet! Your foot will touch the EARTH connection and a key press, therefore closing the circuit!

What's Next?

Wire Maintenance

If you’d like to indulge in some serious wire maintenance so you can move or fix the piano as needed, that will add an hour to your build time. To learn more visit this project on the Maker Makey site.

Adding Sharps

Here is an overview of the template for adding sharps to your piano. You’ll have to remap a few keys to be letter presses on the back of your Makey Makey. To prepare follow this remap guide to make the mouse movements on the back right header into key presses.

Makey Makey Classic Inventor's Kit

The original Makey Makey Classic – Named one of Consumer Reports’ “Best Tech Toys of 2014,” “Best of Toy Fair 2014” by Popular Science, and a finalist for Toy of the Year 2016.

Makes STEM Education fun! Start out easy with a banana piano. First setup takes seconds. Then make game controllers, musical instruments, and countless inventions. Advance to additional inputs and multi-key remapping up to 18 keys. Ages 8 to infinity.

Turn everyday objects like bananas into touchpads!
Connect the world around you to your computer! Setup takes just seconds.
Just plug, clip, and play! No programing knowledge needed. No software to install. Works with Mac and Windows.
1000s of possibilities! Draw your own game controller, sneak a cat selfie, and dance like never before.
Ages 8 to infinity.

Visit the Makey Makey website for tons of projects, educator resources, apps and more.