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The theremin
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The teachers
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The music
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The shop
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The wilco
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The Theremin: The short story.
The theremin is the strangest music instrument you will ever see or hear. It is played completely without touching it. Imagine standing in front of a box with antennas and stretch out your hands. Even without touching them, you are in contact with the electronic circuit in the box. Moving around the upwards pointing antenna alters the pitch, while moving around the round antenna on the side alters the volume.
Moving close to the pitch antenna produces high tones, while further away there are low tones. When far away from the volume antenna, the sound is the loudest, while moving in closer makes it softer until it is silent when very close.
Now imagine making big movements around the antennas. The pitch will go up and down in big gliding tones (glissandi) from very high to very low. Or imagine standing very still, hands outstretched in a fixed position. You now play one single note. Then make a very small movement, towards or away from the pitch antenna, and hold steady again. Now a different note is heard. By continuing making small movements, you jump from note to note, and you are playing a melody. This melody can be a tune you already know, or something you come up with on the spot. It can also be a melody written down in notes, just like with other musical instruments. The only thing here however, is that first you have to find out where the position for the first note is. And after that, where the next notes are. There are no fixed locations for the notes. No 'middle-C' as with a keyboard, with all the keys triggering a specific pitch, or finger positions as with a wind or string instrument. The only way to play the theremin is by listening very carefully to what the result of your movement is.
After this first introduction you discover there are many ways to play the theremin. Through the years several playing methods were developed to control pitch, loudness and expression as precise and musically as possible. Starting with its inventor Leon Theremin, Clara Rockmore in the 1930s and 1940s, and later Lydia Kavina and Carolina Eyk, amongst many others.
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Theremin Teachers
After this first introduction you discover there are many ways to play the theremin. Through the years several playing methods were developed to control pitch, loudness and expression as precise and musically as possible. Starting with its inventor Leon Theremin, Clara Rockmore in the 1930s and 1940s, and later Lydia Kavina and Carolina Eyk, amongst many others.
Have you just started to play the theremin, or wish to do so, and you need help? There may be a teacher near you. Please check out this page for a list of theremin teachers. Some give online lessons and workshops as well. Are you a theremin teacher and wish to be added to the list? Please send me an email.
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The shop
Currently my shop, Ethermagci.eu does not sell any theremins, due to lack of production of good instruments. I do still manufacture and sell the ESPE01 (for Moog Etherwave Standard and Plus theremins) and EPVM1345 (for Moog Etherwave Pro) modules, developed by Thierry Frenkel. Occasionally I can offer custom Etherwave theremins. Check out the images at the Ethermagic Facebook page: here
Ethermagic is based in the Netherlands and ships worldwide!
Are you a developer/builder/company, making theremins or other electronic musical instruments and you want to sell your instruments in the Ethermagic shop? Please send me an email.
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