learn to play the theremin

I’ve always wanted to learn, and I’ve always loved the idea of playing an instrument without touching it.

so hard to perfect, but worth it just to build, see, and understand.

I scrimped and saved to get the Moog Etherwave… now I just have to learn how to play it! But WOW I love it so much!!!!!

I’m also wanting the theremin amp from Moog.. and the gigbag. I have 28 days till my birthday.. time to start making the subtle hints!! ^_

I put out a request on “Freecycle” for an amplifier, we’ll see if anyone has one they like to give up. If not I guess I’ll be shopping for one.

I have a theremin! Next, I’ll need to get an amplifier (that really should be first on my list).

I bought one on eBay, whist very very drunk, as egged on by my house mate who knew I’d wanted one for a while. I then told everyone I knew, before the thing had even arrived. Luckily when it did arrive said house mate lent me effects pedals and someone else lent me an amplifier. Then I got an email from an acquaintance (we share a friend) asking would I like to join his band and even though i said I’d only had the theremin a week he still wanted me to join. I went to a band practice and a week later was on my way to a gig in Leeds to play improvised theremin with a crazy punk band. Fast forward about 10 months, and I love/live with the bassist from the band and have played in Berlin and all over the UK, before giving the theremin to someone else to play (due to injured arms). And I’ve met lots of people I wouldn’t have otherwise met. So go forth an make spooky noises and spend the rest of your life explaining to people what a theremin is!

Well, i’ve been recruited to play a piece on theremin by one of my friends from the conservatory. It’s a piece for cello, violin, and theremin, and i have a lot of codettas. that makes it easier because i don’t have to bother with timing. it’s a cool piece.

i just got a chuck collins pitch-only theremin from my friend. he admitted to never really being able to get a tune out of it aside from the obvious sci-fi noise applications, and offered to pass it on to me.

being my first theremin, i found it tremendously unmanageable. still, i feel that given it’s frustraing nature as a theremin, it may be a little misrepresentative of the level of difficulty. even with the use of the range control, i find that some 2-3 octaves to navigate in a 6” radius a bit unrealistic. i’m also starting to imagine the possibilities of volume control with another antenna.

i wonder if theremin playing is really this maddening on other units, or am i barking up the wrong tree with this little toy of a theremin. i wonder if folks ever swap out the antenna with a ribbon controller…

i should just save up for the etherwave.

well, i can now play dreaming of a white christmas on my theremin. it’s a little tricky to do without changing keys, because the first bit is chromatic. half steps. but i can play it consistantly! i think i’m getting pretty good at this

I guess I need to get one first
but….
brush-hog, yard-rake, barn, firewood, etc, etc are farther up the list :-(