ItHave you ever dreamt of a musical instrument that could be played without touching it? Gratefully, the Theremin exists. A musician plays the illusory Theremin simply by touching his hands over an electromagnetic circuit, thereby regulating volume and pitch control depending on the placement.
The Theremin was created in 1928. It is an early electronic gadget that can be played without moving it. Musicians use their hands and move them in the electromagnetic fields shaped by the device to control the field and the volume of the music it produces.
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What Is a Theremin?
“What musical instrument is played without Touching it?” is a mysterious instrument, a relic of vintage horror and sci-fi soundtracks, and an out-of-the-box choice that could add just the right touch to your next production. It’s considered the world’s earliest electronic instrument and covered the way for digital music as we know it today.
This instrument uses electricity to produce two primary circuits – One that alters pitch and another that alters volume. These limits are controlled by two antennae, with one loop antenna and another upright straight, similar to a radio’s.
How Does A Theremin Work?
The Theremin is unique among electronic instruments; the performer does not touch the instrument while performing. The setup is relatively simple and consists of two antennas connected to a wooden box with two knobs: one for pitch and one for amplitude or volume.
The performance concept is also relatively simple but requires skill and great ears. The performer adjusts pitch and volume by moving their hand closer or farther away from the antennas. Here is a classic example of the haunting Theremin from Bernard Herrmann’s groundbreaking score, the 1951 sci-fi picture The Day the Earth Stood Still. No, not the Keanu Reeves remake.
A Brief History of The What musical instrument is played without Touching it? Theremin
To understand the Theremin, we need to travel back in time to two places: the USSR and Queens, New York, in 1954. Leon Theremin was a young Russian scientist studying the density of gases in a chamber. As the story goes, he is curious about what would happen if he added an audio signal to indicate the device’s measurements. Hence, the musical device was initially intended to utilize radio frequency to measure gas properties.
Upon doing so, Theremin realized that the device was reacting to more than just the density of the gases in a chamber. The device responded to his body’s relative position, and he could produce an eerie, disembodied timbre by waving his hand back and forth. Thus, by the magic of electromagnetism, the enigmatic Theremin was born! Here is the maestro himself playing his creation.
Little did Europe and America’s audiences know, but Mr. Theremin led a double life: that of an inventor and a Soviet spy. When Theremin presented his magical device to Vladimir Lenin, Lenin was unimaginably impressed. Shortly after, Theremin began to tour European countries and the United States, where his invention’s novel nature put him in such important places as factories and patent offices. He could then report activities back to the officials at home.
Eventually, however, Theremin’s double life began to catch up with him. The FBI had him on a watchlist, and in 1938, he fled the USA without a trace, not to return until 1991, shortly before he died in 1993.
Not So Fast, Virtuoso
Shortly after Theremin arrived in the USA, the instrument was licensed to RCA for mass production. RCA determined that anyone could perform the Theremin and marketed it as such, while the truth was anything but so.
The Theremin has no frets, strings, keys, or tuning pegs. It is about as far from a conventional instrument as you can get, which is part of its attraction. With that in mind, the theremin player is incredibly skilled since they can only rely on their sense of pitch to guide their playing. A quick hand switch alters your pitch and volume controls, so it’s tough to play this instrument with precision.
Sadly, the Theremin did not pick up a large audience of users, primarily due to the instrument’s inherently tricky nature. It’s tough to master the device’s pitch and volume control parameters, and the instrument’s unconventional sound doesn’t give it a large share of the music market.
The Popularization of the Theremin
The Theremin has found quite a home in film scores, contemporary classical music, and rock bands. While in New York, Theremin taught the virtuoso of his instrument, Clara Rockmore. Here is Clara Rockmore performing the famous cello solo, “The Swan” by French composer Camille Saint-Saëns:
Bernard Herrmann was not the first composer to call upon the Theremin’s mysterious powers to illicit disembodied responses in film scores. The great Hungarian composer Miklos Rózsa incorporated the Theremin in his cues for the 1945 Alfred Hitchcock film Spellbound. Hitchcock gave two pieces of advice to Rózsa: to find “a ‘new sound’ for the paranoia which shaped the subject of the picture.” That new sound came in the form of the Theremin.
How To Play a Theremin
Many novice players incorrectly assume that playing the Theremin should be pretty straightforward. After all, the instrument only consists of two antennae across an electromagnetic field and is play with the human body alone.
However, this instrument is complicate to play with control. The proximity sensors, pitch, and volume circuits are very delicate. To master pitch, tone, and volume, you must master fine muscle coordination and have a strong ear.
Learning the basics of the instrument can take plenty of practice hours. Once you’ve built a foundational understanding of the hand movements necessary to create music, you can start working with your hands to create more precise articulation and dynamics.
Theremin Types
There are different types of theremins, and the instrument has prompted a wave of DIY instruments made from vacuum tubes to LEGO bricks.
Optical Theremins
These theremins are similar to the traditional type, though they utilize light sensors instead of an electromagnetic field. This is one of the most accessible theremins to make from home.
Video Theremins
Interactive video game companies like Wii and Xbox Connect utilize theremin-like technologies so that users can use the human body as the controller.
Solar Theremins
Solar theremins work by utilizing the amount of light coming in to create music. These DIY kits are inexpensive and perfect for the budding, theremin-sound hobbyist.
Theremin FAQs
What is the musical instrument is played without Touching it? a theremin, and how does it work?
A theremin is an electric musical instrument that is notably play without physical contact. creates sound by moving hands and fingers around the instrument’s antenna to manipulate pitch and tone. The instrument was invent by a Russian physicist, Lev Sergeyevich Termen (later known as Theremin), around 1920.
Is a theremin dangerous?
Theremins aren’t typically dangerous, but DIY theremin creators must carefully create their devices with an acceptable voltage level. DIY therein kits crafted with excess voltage can be lethal, as these delicate instruments need to be craft with utmost care and background knowledge.
How much is a theremin charge?
Theremins can differ significantly in cost and are typically more luxurious since they are measure more as a specialty tool. At today’s rates, a theremin or theremin-like instrument typically costs anywhere between $300 and $2000. DIY devices can be create, but making a theremin alone can be dangerous.
Is the Theremin hard to play?
Like any other instrument, the Theremin takes time to master. If you’re hoping to become an artful theremin player, you’ll need to practice regularly and truly immerse yourself within the art form. The Theremin is unique in that you don’t have a guide to aid your learning – You’ll need to rely on your sense of pitch.
Does a theremin require electricity?
Theremins rely on electricity to produce sound, so you’ll need a power source nearby to create music on one of these instruments. Make sure you use the power source with the appropriate voltage level to protect your instrument and yourself while playing.
Conclusion
The Theremin is a mysterious device. You don’t need to touch it to perform with it, but you will need to spend hours practicing to master it. You can’t play it like a guitar or synthesizer or drum machine. Although there are programmable theremins now (thanks to Robert Moog), the original Theremin had no tuning features and relied solely upon the performer’s ears and hands.