# A Theremin for Every Season



## haydnguy (Oct 13, 2008)

These have obviously been around for a long time but I just saw this today and thought it was neat. In case anyone else hasn't seen one. I post this here.


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## MarkW (Feb 16, 2015)

It was a nifty idea, but I find the sound drives me crazy.


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## Jacck (Dec 24, 2017)

Concerto for Theremin by Anis Fuleihan - 1945
Martinu Fantasie for String Quartet, oboe, theremin, and piano

Bernard Herrmann sometimes used theremin in his soundtracks
The Day The Earth Stood Still


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## millionrainbows (Jun 23, 2012)

This girl is really good.

I've got a Moog theremin. Found it in a pawn shop for $230.00. It's not easy to play. You have to practice. I'll admit, I haven't touched it in months.


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## David Phillips (Jun 26, 2017)

Quickly became a horror movie cliche, but achieved its finest moment in Messiaen's Turangalila Symphonie. Difficult to listen playing solo for any length of time.


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## mbhaub (Dec 2, 2016)

Actually, there is no Theremin in the Messiaen; it's scored for a much more sophisticated and complex device called the Ondes Martenot. It can sound like a Theremin, but can do a lot more and the keyboard makes getting the right pitch a lot more reliable than on a theremin.

I built a theremin many years ago while in high school, following the schematics from the original - vacuum tubes and all. Winding the internal coils was the hardest part. Playing the thing was really, really difficult - kind of like trombone or violin, learning the right distance for a certain pitch was very hard. Lots of vibrato lets you get away with a lot. And the distance would change depending on room temperature, relative humidity and even the amount of metal nearby. Then trying to also control volume with the left hand was not for the uncoordinated. It worked well enough and it was a neat toy for many years. I did get to use in several Halloween type concerts - where else?


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## Bob516 (Nov 2, 2018)

Would a Theremin be considered closer to something in the woodwinds, percussion, brass or strings? Or is it something so different that it deserves its own category?


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## millionrainbows (Jun 23, 2012)

Bob516 said:


> Would a Theremin be considered closer to something in the woodwinds, percussion, brass or strings? Or is it something so different that it deserves its own category?


It's an electric instrument, so it is none of those categories. The way it is played is similar to a violin or a voice. It has no sharp 'attack' like a violin, though. You can change the tone of it with a filter, which makes it brighter.

The closest thing I've heard to it is the Appalachian "musical saw" which is played with a violin bow. It is a sort of "acoustic Theremin."


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