MaKey MaKey Sketch It, Play It

First, setup your “Play It!” station where you can jam on your paper instruments.

or try Googling “makey scratch piano.”

(You may need to install Flash or Javascript.)

Browse to:

http://scratch.mit.edu/projects/ericr/2543877

Click once on the piano to focus the computer’s attention on the piano.

Try pushing the arrow keys and space bar on your computer’s keyboard. You should hear the piano make sounds

Try pushing the arrow keys and space bar on your computer’s keyboard. You should hear the piano make sounds

Connect alligator clips to the four arrow keys and the space bar.

Connect Makey Makey to USB port of computer.

Connect one alligator clip to “Earth” for grounding people.

Leave the alligator clips loose, hanging out so people can connect to them.

Your “Play It!” station now makes sounds and is ready. Next, you want to setup a “Sketch It!” station so your participant creators can make these sounds without using the computer keyboard. They will draw their own instruments.

Consider making at least one instrument yourself before getting started with the activity (or have everyone do it together).

Lay out one clipboard for each participant and some paper and pencils on the table next to the computer.

Grab materials: paper, clipboard, and a pencil.

Draw. Make DARK lines. Some smaller people may not have the coordination to

draw dark lines. In that case you can let them design the instrument, but you can make their lines darker.

Clip the colored alligators on edge shapes and black alligator clip on the metal clipboard clip. Then hold the metal clipboard clip with your hand and tap the shapes like “buttons.”

Jam out on your instrument that you’ve made at the “Play It!” station.

Are the lines dark enough?

Do the lines cross over each other? Usually beginners are recommended to keep their lines separate so that each line makes one distinct sound.

Is the alligator clip touching the pencil drawing nicely?

Are somebody’s hands just too dry? Try putting out a damp sponge for people with dry hands.

Have you clicked on the piano to bring browser focus to the piano?

Is your sound turned on? Try pushing the arrow keys directly on your keyboard and watch the piano on the screen.

Is the MaKey MaKey plugged in USB?

Are you drawing on a smooth, hard surface (like a clipboard)?

Are you grounded? You have to be touching ground AND touching the arrow input both at the same time.

For this extension, you need: speakers, Soundplant files (downloaded)

Download Soundplant from here:

soundplant.org/download.htm

Download sound files from here:

Mac: start-making.org/sounds.zip

Windows: start-making.org/winsounds.zip

Install and open Soundplant; unzip the sound files.

You can make your own sounds by dragging sound files (like .wav files) onto the keyboard GUI. Or you can just open the .keymap file from the sound folder you have unzipped.

You can make your own sounds by dragging sound files (like .wav files) onto the keyboard GUI. Or you can just open the .keymap file from the sound folder you have unzipped.

Plug in louder speakers. You could try regular computer speakers, or you can hook to a larger amplifier like such as this: amazon.com/Fender-Passport-150-Portable-System/dp/B0034PDQPY

For this extension, you need: incandescent lights, power strip, Power Tail ii, small phillips-head screwdriver

Caution: this step involves high voltage

AC power. Always use caution and set

up with adult supervision.

Connect your Power Tail ii to the MaKey MaKey

a) Put connector wires into the Keyboard Output terminal and Ground terminal on the back of the MaKey MaKey board.

b) Run the Output wire to (+) and the Ground wire to (-) on the Powertail.

c) Clamp down screw terminals with screwdriver

Plug your power tail into the wall.

Plug your power strip into the power tail.

Plug your lights into the power strip.

Now when you trigger the MaKey MaKey, the lights should turn on!

Steal this activity! Take it in your own direction.

Instead of music output, have a game output

– Pac-Man

– Mario

– Tetris

– etc.

Instead of pencil drawing input, let people use another medium:

– Play-Doh

– Water

– Plants

– Etc

Let people dig deeper into the Arduino:

– Reprogram MaKey MaKey keys

– Write their own Arduino Program

– Access the headers on the back of the board