Passage III

Playing the Theremin

The theremin, the first electronic musical instrument, invented in 1918 by Russian physicist, Léon Thérémin. Its' eerie, high-pitched sound has been compared to that of stringed instruments—particularly the violin—and even to a wailing human voice. Not in widespread use today, a major film featured the theremin is perhaps best known for its use in sound tracks of 1950s science fiction movies, such as The Day the Earth Stood Still.

The theremin is remarkable because, unlike most traditional musical instruments, it does not have any keys strings, or valves. Instead, it consists of a box with two antennae—one vertical antenna on the top and another antenna, shaped like a loop, on the side. When the theremin is turned on, weak electromagnetic waves are generated around the antennae. Early theremins were built into large wooden cabinets, but many of today's instruments are much lighter and more portable.

Theremin musicians play the instrument by moving their hands, which get tired easily, around the antennae. The resulting change in the frequency of the waves produce a theremins characteristic sound. The musician literally "plays the air" around the instrument without touching any part of the instrument itself. Theremin musicians can produce a higher pitch by moving their hands closer to the vertical antenna and a lower pitch by moving them farther away. They can also raise the volume of the sound by moving their hands away from the loop-shaped antenna and lowering the volume by moving them closer.

Because any disturbance of the electromagnetic field around the instrument causes a change in sound, the theremin musician must stand perfectly still, avoiding any odd or accidental moves while playing. (42) The musician's hand movements must be precise in order to manipulate the sound. In contrast, the theremin is difficult to learn and demanding to play; however, theremin enthusiasts still practice the instrument today and even build their own versions of it.