Assembled A Playable Piano Key Tie
April 29, 2011 Filed in: Crafts
“Music should strike fire from the heart of man, and bring tears from the eyes of woman.”
--Ludwig van Beethoven
A few months ago, my good friend Will Kendall made a suggestion for this project that involved wearing a keyboard necktie for an entire day. So, with the intention of doing it, I bought a keyboard necktie.
Last month, I sent him a picture of the tie, and this was his response.
Okay, so, not wanting to disappoint, I wanted to see if there was a way to make this tie playable. Here’s what I ended up doing.
I bought a kid’s keyboard from Tutti Frutti (you can also find this keyboard on Amazon, but it helped for me to see it in person).
I unscrewed the back off the keyboard and popped it open.
I realized after I popped everything apart that I’d have to come up with a solution for the batteries. I ended up going to Radio Shack and picking up a AA Battery Holder.
After a bit of electrical taping and a little reworking, I put the components inside the tie. I had to fit the speaker, the keyboard and the battery pack inside. It got a little crowded.
It didn’t line up perfectly, but it worked out well enough for the effect.
I gave it a test run.
This was a fun project for me. I rarely take things apart and repurpose them. Plus, it’s always satisfying when I’m able to take a suggestion and make it happen. Tomorrow is Will’s 40th birthday, and it’s going to be awesome!
Related Items:
Mini Electric Piano
Piano Key Necktie
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