Introduction: Stick Saxophone
Today, we will be creating a stick saxophone with a Makey Makey, Stick and a few wires.
Step 1: Find Your Stick
I recommend finding a stick that isn't to rough, yet long enough to find many copper coils. Also, try and pick a dry stick, since a wet one will make this project tough.
Step 2: Dry Stick
Drying out the stick is a key step in this process since a wet stick will make the stick conductive, which is something we do not want. Either leave the stick out to dry area or take a heat gun and "fire" the stick. Be careful to not light the stick on fire, we only want to remove the moisture.
Step 3: Add Copper Wire and Connection
Take copper wire an wrap the wire around the stick. Do a couple of loops and then add a alligator clip to the copper wire to establish a connection. Repeat five more times at different stops on the stick. Make sure they fit comfortably for finger placement.
Step 4: Establish Connection With Makey Makey
With the wire coming from the stick, connect it to a pronged wire and insert into the Makey Makey at the 'W' key spot. Repeat for the other 5 wire coils, placing in the other letter spots. Finally, Establish a negative connection by making a larger wire wrap at the top of the stick. Attach this alligator clip to the Earth holes on the Makey Makey.
Step 5: Program!
Visit Scratch.mit.edu a set up an account. Create a new project. Follow the following steps.
1: Move over the When Key is Pressed block onto the scratch interface. Repeat 5 more times.
2: Go to the Sounds tab and click add sound. Add 'A', 'B', 'C', 'D', 'E', 'F' sounds for the Sax (Or other instrument you like.
3: Go back to the code and go to the Sound side tab and add the block that is labeled, "play sound __ until done."
4: Change the sound to one of the added tones and change the key pressed to one of the letters labeled on the Makey Makey.
5: Add a "When flag is pressed" to properly start the code.
Step 6: Connect and Test!
Attach the USB on the Makey Makey to you're computer and start the program on scratch. Test if each "key" on the stick makes a sound.Make sure that you are touching the large coil you made at the top of the stick since that will complete the connection. Thanks for following along?