Be stoked this school year! Bring Makey Makey to your classroom.

Super Easy Floor Piano

Here is a super easy floor piano you can make in about 10 minutes!

Super Simple 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.)

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.

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. 

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. 

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.

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.

(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! )

What songs can you play?

 

 

super easy floor piano layout with arrow keys for each piano key and a strip of tape for earth running underneath 

Next Steps and Extensions

Design your own notes in Scratch! Make a piano with animal sounds, or drum beats or whatever you'd like! Here are some more beginner musical guides you might want to try!

Time Investment
10-15 minutes
Grades:
Pre-K - 12+

Supplies

  • Makey Makey 
  • Alligator Clips
  • HVAC tape
  • Duct tape
  • Template

Welcome

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