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I was thinking of how hard it is to make a LEGO piano.

I have already tried to use a rubber band but it did not make a good sound when I plucked at it.

My problem is that I want to make a piano but I don't know what to use for the strings. Can someone help?

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    And also i want to make a piano in which i can actualy play! I want a mini one that is not to big maybey a little smaller than a laptop keybord
    – Nerd
    Jun 18, 2020 at 22:36
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    got a hunch it might take a wrench... (youtube)
    – Uli
    Jun 19, 2020 at 0:57
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    @Henrik: Questions only become untagged if they are migrated or all of their tags get deleted. You cannot create a question without tags.
    – Wrzlprmft
    Jun 19, 2020 at 7:48
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    @Uli That looks like an answer!
    – jpa
    Jun 19, 2020 at 10:58
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    @Uli That piano seems to be an xylophone in disguise, I don't think it's suitable. Let's... lets use mindstorms bricks instead. Jun 21, 2020 at 11:48

2 Answers 2

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Donny Chen made a LEGO piano that I believe is just large enough to play. Details are available on LEGO Ideas. You can watch him show it off in a video from Brickvention 2019. He has it motorized in that video.

Piano

From your comments, it sounds like you are interested in not simply having a piano with keys that can move, but one that actually emits proper sound. I think it will be quite difficult to do that effectively using LEGO elements (string, rubber bands, etc). The best that you can probably do to deliver sound using LEGO elements would probably be using EV3 or BOOST. This would be similar to the guitar model from the BOOST set:

BOOST Guitar

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    It is possible to tune rubber bands, but not really at that scale
    – Chris H
    Jun 19, 2020 at 9:32
  • Indeed, you're kinda lucky if you have 17101 and want to make a piano. I can explain how that guitar in the photo works if you don't mind: The guitar handle is covered in colored tiles, and a studded technic beam goes around it. On the other end of the stick, there is a color/distance sensor. When you move the studded beam up and down, the distance sensor detects it and sends this info to the hub, and then the hub sends the same info again to the app to operate it, which means that your device plays the sound. Jun 19, 2020 at 10:52
  • The colored tiles are not detected in any way, they are just there to help you to remember the correct positions on the stick to play the correct sounds. Jun 19, 2020 at 10:53
  • Personally I would recommend EV3 instead though, BOOST quickly gets boring and with EV3 you can do many, many more things. The only downside of EV3 is that it gets tricky when you're trying to make big projects like this sometimes.‮ Jun 19, 2020 at 11:03
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    @mindstormsboi So this "guitar" really has more in common with a theremin than an actual guitar, being based on distance rather than a vibrating string... Jun 19, 2020 at 13:35
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There is this monstrosity as an example on the internet, which proves that you can work with proper metal strings. But your biggest enemy will be the huge tension everything is under. There is a reason that proper pianos have steel frames. As you only want one or two octaves, you can probably do without reinforcing the frame, but wherever the strings terminate will be a single point of failure. Apparently the harpsichord in the example uses some mutilated pieces there (though the only mention of glue is for the lid).

Also note the sound example. In any string instrument, sound is generated by the combination of the string and the resonating body of the instrument itself. In other words, it will always sound "plasticly" and there is nothing you can do about that.

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  • ...Which is why I keep telling the OP to use EV3 bricks instead. Makes life easier. Jun 21, 2020 at 11:41
  • I came here to post about Henry Lim's harpsichord. Glad to see someone else did it already, so all I have to do is +1. :)
    – shoover
    Jun 23, 2020 at 3:34

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