This digital instrument is designed and fabricated in a Fab Lab to help students learn how to play the ukulele using sensors and LEDs. It can be paired with Bluetooth to the teacher’s FabKulele or to a digital assistant interface on a computer to follow along and learn the chords. The main structure is fully 3D printed and assembled using three screws. The electronics boards fit inside the neck and are covered with a translucent PETG cover to be able to see the lights. It uses one board per fret, equipped with an Attiny44 microchip in each board and an I2C communication between them. There is a master board that is in charge of the communications. The body is modular so it is easy to change and experiment with new shapes and materials to get different sounds from a single instrument. It is attached to the structure with magnets to keep it simple and “plug&play”. Currently, one body has been fabricated with the laser cutter machine and another one has been made with a wood bending technique.

We designed a digital assistant using Processing to help everyone to learn how to play the Ukulele. It has an extensive chord library to learn the most important chords that will light up in your FabKulele. It can also create MIDI notes while you are playing, making it an electronic instrument by simply connecting it to the computer.