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Learn all about the theremin, a very peculiar musical instrument
In the world there are many musical instruments, each of them has its type, its way of playing and of course a difficulty.
It is possible to find some instruments of which it is difficult to believe, which are actually musical instruments.
This is the case of the theremin, which is a little-known and quite peculiar musical instrument, which is very popular in horror movies.
Undoubtedly, it is very likely that you have never heard this name before, but it is likely that you have heard its melody.
If you are a fan of The Big Bang Theory series, it is likely that you have already seen one of these instruments, and it is that in one episode, Sheldon plays the theremin.
Today you will learn what this instrument is about, as well as its history and how it works.
What is the theremin?
Before getting into the subject further, you need to know what a theremin is. This musical instrument, also known as a stereophone, is classified as an electronic musical instrument.
This instrument is made up of two metal antennas that are capable of detecting the position of the thereminist's hands.
It also has some oscillators which allow you to control the frequency and volume. The electrical signals produced by the theremin are amplified through the apparatus and sound is emitted through a speaker.
This musical instrument has long been used for television shows and in movies. Especially those that have to do with horror, suspense and science fiction.
It is also widely used in classical music and even some rock variants.
This instrument consists of a box with two antennas that can be played with both hands. To do this, they approach and move their hands away from the antennas without actually touching them.
One of the antennas could control the tone, while the other controlled the volume. This design evolved over time at the hands of its own creator.
Nowadays, this has changed a lot, and the new theremins, whether homemade or industrial, include only one antenna that allows you to control the tone.
In general, this instrument is used more to create special effects than as a musical instrument.
One of the greatest attractions of this instrument is that the sounds come out of it without the musician even touching it.
This strange instrument made many people take an interest in it.
The manufacture of the theremin is quite simple, so much so that it is possible to make one at home easily. In fact, it is quite common for people who play this instrument to have a homemade one.
Where does the theremin originate?
This musical instrument was created in 1919 by the physicist and musician Lev Sergeyevich Termen who invented it by accident while investigating frequency waves.
At first, he gave it the name of aetherophone and later its name was changed to theremin. This name comes from the western name of its creator which was Leon Theremin.
This musical instrument was built for the violinist Clara Rockmon who from the moment was fascinated and who was the main person who used it at the time and was the one who popularized it.
Leon Theremin took a long time to perfect this device because during the process he created other different inventions which led to the creation of the theremin.
How to learn to play the theremin?
If you want to know how to play the theremin we have to warn you that it is not easy and the learning curve is quite complicated. However, it is not an instrument that is impossible to play.
There are a number of ways you can build on your learning to play the theremin. Usually people who are interested in learning look for a tutor who can teach them as easily as possible.
Unfortunately, not all people have the same options, which is why many decide to learn with information from the internet or books that explain how to play it. Many even learn to touch it by watching videos on the Internet.
Consistency is the most important factor when learning to play the theremin. If you practice constantly, you will surely learn to play it faster than you think. The most important thing is that you do it at your own pace and without pressure.
Understanding how the theremin works is the first step in learning to play it. And for this you will have to investigate about it, the operation of one of these instruments is quite simple.
And anyone can understand it just by having heard it at least once.
His appearances the world of cinema
The sounds that this device emitted caused it to be used very frequently in science fiction movies at that time. This is mainly because their sounds were futuristic and robotic.
This sound became commonplace and was associated with science fiction movies, as well as horror and suspense movies.
The first appearance that this device had in the cinema was in the film Odna in 1931. The song of the film was in charge of the composer Dmitri Shostakovich. This was the first time a theremin was used for such an important work.
Then it was not until 1945 when the famous film director Alfred Hitchcock used it in the film "remembers" by the hand of the musical composer Miklós Rózsas. From that moment on, this instrument was actively used in the world of cinema for many years.
At present, it is practically not used in the film industry thanks to the existence of new, more efficient technologies that do a more optimal job.
