The playable Lego Grand Piano set is here, and it looks amazing
3,662-piece set can link to an app and make real piano sounds
Teased earlier this week, the Lego Ideas Grand Piano set has now arrived, and it looks as good as we hoped it would be.
Promising all the intricate elements of a real grand piano, this is a playable instrument that features a motor and working keys. Sounds are generated by the companion Lego Powered Up app - triggered by Bluetooth MIDI, we assume.
If you don't want to get your fingers moving, you can just set the piano to auto-play one of ten preset songs.
The piano features a removable 25-key keyboard, a top lid that can be propped up, an “authentic” hammer action and a moving damper and pedal. The set features 3,662 pieces and, when built, is more than 22.5cm tall, 30.5cm wide and 35.5cm deep when closed.
The Grand Piano is part of the Lego Ideas collection, which features fan designs that get the chance to become real sets, with the designer getting a share of the profits. In this case, the design came from music teacher and Lego fan Donny Chen, who said: “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.
“It’s truly an honour 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.”
Meanwhile, Federico Begher, VP of Global Marketing at The Lego Group added: “We get so many amazing concepts submitted through our LEGO Ideas platform, but when we saw Donny’s piano design it really stood out as something extraordinary, with great potential to become a truly unique Lego set.
Get the MusicRadar Newsletter
Want all the hottest music and gear news, reviews, deals, features and more, direct to your inbox? Sign up here.
“The accompanying images and video submitted by Donny really sparked some ideas within the team. We believed that including power functions as part of the model to enable the set to play real music in real life would elevate the design even further. We simply could not pass on the opportunity to create the ultimate Lego Ideas Grand Piano model for music and Lego fans alike!”
Retailing at £320, the Lego Ideas Grand Piano is an adult set (it’s recommended for those who are 18 and over) and is available direct from Lego or in Lego stores.
I’m the Deputy Editor of MusicRadar, having worked on the site since its launch in 2007. I previously spent eight years working on our sister magazine, Computer Music. I’ve been playing the piano, gigging in bands and failing to finish tracks at home for more than 30 years, 24 of which I’ve also spent writing about music and the ever-changing technology used to make it.
MusicRadar deals of the week: Last chance Christmas savings! Score hundreds off guitars, pianos and drums - including £250 off the Dave Grohl Epiphone DG-335
“A full range of controls for instruments and DAWs, along with a semi-weighted keyboard that’ll please the players”: Novation Launchkey 49 and 61 MK4 review