LEGO builders can soon make beautiful music using a grand piano replica in brick form.
LEGO announced on Wednesday that its brand-new LEGO Ideas Grand Piano set, which looks and works like a real-life grand piano, will be available for purchase starting next month.
Featuring all the makings of a grand piano, the 3662-piece set includes a removable 25-key keyboard, a top lid that can be propped up, an authentic hammer action, and a moving damper and pedal. Equipped with a clever motor and working keys, the LEGO Ideas Grand Piano set can also play actual music when used with the LEGO Powered Up app.
There are two ways to play the LEGO Ideas Grand Piano set: Simulated Play and Autoplay. Simulated Play puts you in the pianist’s seat. After connecting the LEGO set to the LEGO app, you will be asked to pick from the app’s playlist of five melodies: Ludwig Beethoven’s For Elise, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Happy Birthday, Jingle Bells, or We Wish You a Merry Christmas. After selecting, you can start tapping the piano keys to continue the melody. But whether or not you’re tapping the right keys, the music that comes out is always going to be perfect every time.
The Autoplay mode, meanwhile, gives your hands a break from all the tapping, as this mode of play automatically moves the piano keys in time to the melody. The Autoplay mode features a 10-song playlist, including Johann Sebastian Bach’s Prelude in C Major, George Frideric Handel’s Passacaille for Piano, Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata First Movement, Franz Liszt’s Widmung, Claude Debussy’s Claire de Lune, George Gershwin’s I Got Rhythm, Happy Birthday, Jingle Bells, We Wish You a Merry Christmas, and Playday.
Playday is composed by music teacher and LEGO aficionado Donny Chen, who is the designer of the LEGO Ideas Grand Piano set. “When I’m not building with LEGO bricks, I’m teaching, tuning or writing music on my piano. So, when I first discovered LEGO Ideas, I knew I wanted to build something that not only combined my two passions, but also looked visually stunning,” Chen said in a statement. “It’s truly an honor to see my idea brought to life by the talented people at The LEGO Group and I hope it brings joy to all the other music fans who voted for the idea on the LEGO Ideas platform.”
For those who are not familiar, LEGO Ideas offers fans the opportunity to submit their own brick creations with the chance to have their concept brought to life with the help of LEGO master designers and a share of the profits.
Measuring over 8.5 inches high, 12 inches wide, and 13.5 inches deep when closed, the LEGO Ideas Grand Piano set makes a spectacular display for any room. It will be available from LEGO.com and LEGO Stores starting August 1st for $199.99.