Makey Trumpet

I am teaching 7th graders how to build cardboard instruments to use with Makey Makey and Scratch to create music. I encouraged the students to use the laser cutter so they could accurately cut the cardboard to create their instruments. I decided to build a trumpet and try a new button design in my instrument.

I started by creating a model of a trumpet in Tinkercad.

Grouped together, the primitive shapes make a good trumpet!

I laser cut multiple copies of the shape. I also modified the model to have a cut away area for me to build the "valves" and cut a couple copies of that, too.

I used some brass brads to build the "valve" buttons. First, I prototyped how the button would work using the brads, springs, and some balsa dowels.

Connecting the button to a Makey Makey confirmed that the design worked. When I depressed the button and the brad made contact with the wire below it, Scratch registered a key press through the Makey Makey.

I knew that the balsa would not hold up very long so I modeled the parts I needed in Tinkercad and 3D printed them.

I routed and secured the wire for ground, which is in contact with the brass brads, and wires for each "valve."

I bent the end of the brad so it would better contact the wire and hit the stop at the bottom of the 3D printed part.

I secured the valves in the cardboard with some card stock, then I hot glued the raft from the 3D prints over the paper because it was handy and more durable.

I decided to leave the side open so people could see the valve design and I could troubleshoot it if it stopped working.

Finally, I laser cut a few more pieces of cardboard to make the mouthpiece and bell of the trumpet.

Here is a demonstration of me playing the trumpet. The extra valve on the side of the valves is so I can shift to the upper register of the scale. The fingering is not like a real trumpet.

This was a really fun build. I liked working with the laser cut cardboard: it was easy to produce as many identical parts as I needed. I am really happy with how the valve buttons turned out: it was cool to produce a design where the ground and the key are combined into a single press. At some point it would be great to build another one from laser cut MDF. I hope these photos and notes inspire you to create something great, too!