MaKey MaKey Sketch It, Play It

By Jay Silver and Eric Rosenbaum
Time Required: 1–3 Hours 
Difficulty: Easy

Print this Project

NOTE: This is by the Start Making! Initiative from Intel. Printable guide here: http://makeymakey.com/guides/pdfs/SketchITPlayIT.pdf

Sketch instruments with pencil and paper. Connect your artwork to a jam station with lights and sound. Get ready to rock out!

August 1, 2014, 2:08 pm PDT

Parts
/
Tools

Parts

Pencil, No. 2 or softer The pencil "lead" needs to be conductive, so probably no colored pencils! The softer the lead, the more easily you can get a good conductive surface, and the better your circuits will work.
Pencil, No. 2 or softer The pencil "lead" needs to be conductive, so probably no colored pencils! The softer the lead, the more easily you can get a good conductive surface, and the better your circuits will work.
Paper
Paper

Tools

Computer with speakers and USB port (laptops work well) and loaded with a “Makey Scratch piano” program (You may need to install Flash or Javascript.) Available here: http://scratch.mit.edu/projects/ericr/2543877
MaKey MaKey Kit
Clipboard One per participant

Steps

Step #1: Set up your “Play It!” station

NextPrev

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

Jay Silver

Eric Rosenbaum

Eric Rosenbaum is a Ph.D. student in the Lifelong Kindergarten Group at MIT Media Lab. He’s a member of the Scratch team and co-creator of MaKey MaKey.

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