5.02 Create an instrument

You will create a new sprite that will play sounds depending on where the user places their mouse-pointer, or interacts with the scene.

Open a new Scratch project. Scratch will open in another browser tab.

Your instrument sprite will play different notes, depending on the colours that make up the instrument sprite. You will need to choose what your instrument looks like. Do you want your instrument to look like a traditional instrument or something you see in your house or outside?

Choose: What will your instrument sprite look like? Use the Paint tool to create it. In the example below, the instrument looks like a flower.

Think about how many different sounds you want your instrument to play. Make sure your instrument has at least that many different colours.

Create your instrument sprite.

Do you want to:

• Add a sprite from the sprite list?
• Adapt a sprite from the sprite list to make something new?
• Upload a sprite?
• Paint your own sprite?

Adapting sprites

This groovy keyboard was adapted from the Snake sprite:

To adapt sprites, select the sprite you want and go to the paint editor.

If you just want part of the sprite, you can crop it.

If you want just the outline of the sprite, convert it to a bitmap and use the Fill tool.

Drawing sprites

• Click Paint on the Choose a Sprite menu to Paint new sprite.

• Use the drawing tool in the Costumes tab to paint your new sprite.

• When you are finished, don’t forget to give your new sprite a sensible name.

Finding images you can use

The person or company that creates an image, either using graphics programs or with a camera, owns the rights to that image. This means that you can not use the image without asking their permission first.

Sometimes images have a license that allows them to be used without asking for permission first. Search engines like Google allow you to search for these types of images.

Most of these images will require you to attribute the creator. So you should add a link to the website you found them on; you could add this in to the Notes and Credits section of you project page.

Getting pictures from the internet

• Search for images of the thing you want a picture of.
• When you find a picture that you like, click on it to open it up full size.
• Then right-click the picture, and select Save Image As…. Be sure you haven’t selected Save Link As….

• Type a short name in the box provided.
• Before you click Save, make a note of which folder your image file will be saved to. You will need to remember this to find the picture later! You can select a specific folder if you wish. When you’re sure you’ll find the image again, click Save.

Uploading a sprite to Scratch

• Use the Choose a Sprite menu and select Upload Sprite.

• Use your file browser to select the sprite you wish to upload.

Debug: You may have done a lot of debugging already! Did you change the direction your sprite was pointing? Did you solve any problems? Think about all the debugging you have already done to create your musical instrument.