How to Play the Theremin

You are viewing an Expert Village Video Series:

The theremin is the world's first electronic musical instrument. Playing a theremin takes practice, but it's an impressive and unique skill! Learn how to play the theremin in this free series of instructional music videos from a professional avant garde musician.

There are 12 videos in this series:

Email Series

<< Back
[ 1 ]
Next >>

1.

Amplification of the Theremin
Theremins can be run through an amplifier; just make sure the impediments match. Learn how to amplify the theremin in this free avant garde music lesson video.

Views: 1,113
Playlist
2.

Basics of Playing the Theremin
To play the theremin, move your hands near the volume antenna and pitch antenna to adjust the pitch and volume of the sound. Learn the basics of how to play the theremin in this free music lesson video from a professional avant garde musician.

Views: 1,832
Playlist
3.

Guitar Effects Pedals with the Theremin
Countless analog or digital sound effects can be used with the theremin. Learn how to use a guitar digital flex pedal with the theremin in this free avant garde music lesson video.

Views: 2,159
Playlist
4.

History of the Theremin
The theremin is the world's first electronic musical instrument and was invented in the 1920s by a Russian scientist named Léon Theremin. Learn more about the history of the theremin in this free music lesson video from a professional avant garde musician.

Views: 1,640
Playlist
5.

How does a Theremin Work?
A theremin creates sound by broadcasting a signal to itself when a player's hand interrupts the magnetic field between its antennae. Learn more about how a theremin works in this free music lesson video from a professional avant garde musician.

Views: 1,467
Playlist
6.

How to Find Notes on the Theremin
Notes on the theremin are found in mid-air! Learn how to use hand gestures to find notes on the theremin in this free avant garde music lesson video.

Views: 1,190
Playlist
7.

How to Operate Theremin Controls
The controls of a theremin are the volume control, pitch control, wave form and brightness control. Learn how to operate and adjust theremin controls in this free avant garde music lesson video.

Views: 1,004
Playlist
8.

How to Purchase a Theremin
Learn how and where to purchase a theremin in this free music lesson video from a professional avant garde musician.

Views: 1,382
Playlist
9.

How to Tune the Theremin
Use the pitch control to tune a theremin and adjust its playing field. Learn how to tune the theremin in this free music lesson video from a professional avant garde musician.

Views: 1,013
Playlist
10.

Imagining Songs for the Theremin
Learn how to imagine songs and play them on the theremin in this free music lesson video from a professional avant garde musician.

Views: 1,955
Playlist
11.

Memorizing Notes for the Theremin
Memorizing notes on a theremin can be hard because notes are literally played from thin air; there are no frets, keys or buttons. Learn how to memorize notes for the theremin in this free music lesson video from a professional avant garde musician.

Views: 1,085
Playlist
12.

Playing Songs on the Theremin
Watch a song being performed on the theremin by a professional avant garde musician in this free music lesson video.

Views: 1,641
Playlist

<< Back
[ 1 ]
Next >>

Views: 17,438 Videos in Series: 12

Tags: theremin, leo, musical-instruments, composer, oscillators, avante-garde

Email Series

Summary: In these times of advanced video game and virtual reality technologies, you might see someone waving their arms or shaking their fists in front of a television set and wonder what they are doing. Why they are playing virtual video tennis of course, or perhaps boxing an on-screen opponent. Or you might see someone waving their arms and shaking their fists at a theremin and wonder what they are doing. And wonder. And wonder. In this case you’ll have to dream up your own cause and effect relationship. Is the thereminist groping an alien to get those strange sounds? Or perhaps fondling the fourth dimension? You can’t see any sort of traditional instrument, yet wondrous sounds correspond to the player’s hand movements in thin air.

In this free series of kitsch avante garde instructional music and space sounds videos, our theremin expert explains the basic principles of this bizarre instrument. He also tells you how to operate the controls and even demonstrates how to coax a song out of it. Join Brain Wilson, John Spencer and any number of science fiction soundtrack composers on the evergrowing bandwagon of theremin disciples.

About the Expert

Expert: Barry Schwam has been a professional musician for more than thirty years and continues to perform in Southern California, where he now lives.