THE THEREMIN: INSTRUMENT OF THE WEIRD

YOU ARE PROBABLY FAMILIAR with that eerie, undulating tone heard in the soundtracks of numerous spooky movies from the 1950's and beyond. Well, that "otherworldly" sound is not from another world at all -- it is actually an earthbound creation called the theremin. invented by and named for the Russian, Léon Theremin, who patented the instrument in 1928. This year marks the 100th anniversary of when the theremin was introduced to the world.

Jimmy Page, famous guitarist of Led Zepplin was known for playing a theremin on stage along with using a violin bow on his guitar strings for spacey effects. A close cousin to the theremin, the electrotheremin, was created by Paul Tanner and Bob Whitsell, and heard on The Beach Boy's, "Good Vibrations" on the album Pet Sounds. There was even a documentary about Léon Theremin released by Orion in 1993 (see poster above). Needless to say, the theremin, and his creator, are something of a legend.

Before the theremin and its progeny were popularized in later years, the most well-known performer using the hands-off instrument was a virtuoso by the name of Clara Rockmore. As a performer, she played it as originally intended, coaxing classical and popular tunes between her fingers and the seemingly sentient antenna of the theremin.

In 1936, Clara Rockmore was interviewed  by The Camden Herald where she expounded on the development and playing of the instrument.(https://theremintimes.ru/en/archives/3351).

The article after that is from Atlas Obscura and tells -- if you're interested -- more of Miss Rockmore's advice.

Leon Theremin, inventor of his namesake electronic instrument.

Interview With Clara Rockmore

SOURCE: The Camden Herald (Maine), September 1936.

What is its real name and who invented it?

Its real name is Theremin, and it was named after its inventor, Leon Theremin, a Russian of French descent, in the year 1919. Prof. Theremin is a well known scientist.

What is its range?

The instrument to be used in the concert is approximately four and one-half octaves. It can be varied, however, even much larger.

How much is it played?

Not extensively as yet. There is no literature to date in existence for the Theremin, so of necessity the program has to be chosen from that of voice and other instruments. Consequently the difficulty of performance is increased, for perforce the composers were at no time able to consider the characteristic individuality of this instrument.

Is it used in orchestras?

It has been used by Leopold Stokowski of the Philadelphia Orchestra- possibly he is the only one to have adopted it for orchestral use thus far. Stokowski believes in its possibilities very strongly.

Does the loud speaker distort the tone?

No.

Is one needed?

Absolutely- otherwise it would be inaudible.

Can it be plugged in anywhere?

Yes, for alternating current or through a converter to direct current.

Will it blow out fuses?

No.

Does your body between it and the loudspeaker play any part in the tone?

Yes, the body serves a conductor and when it is brought into the sensitive field surrounding the vertical antenna, the field is so affected that sounds are produced.

Do you feel ether waves going through you?

No.

How would the sound be affected if you moved while playing?

The pitch would be somewhat changed.

Do you purposely hold the first finger and thumb in a circle?

Yes, for steadier vibrato.

Is it tiring?

A little more than other instruments, perhaps; because of the necessary control of the body.

What are its limitations?

As it stands today, its limitations show up more in technique requiring great velocity.

Are musicians interested in it?

Yes, very much so, particularly those of distinctly progressive nature. They feel that the Theremin is an instrument of the future, and that as soon as musical literature for it has been developed, it will take on more importance and in wider fields.

Why do you move your right arm and fingers towards upright bar and away from it?

As the right hand approaches the antenna, the pitch of the sound becomes higher, and as the hand is withdrawn, the pitch becomes lower.

Please explain the motion of the left wrist, hand and arm toward and away from the circle on the left side of the instrument.

The left hand not only controls the volume, the further away the louder and the nearer the softer, but all rests, bow effects, and nuances are achieved with motions of the left hand and fingers.

Do you tune the Theremin?

Yes, I do- there is a little knob on he front of the instrument, which may be turned to any desired note while I stand stationary before it. However, an added difficulty is the fact that as the instrument warms, the tuning changes very rapidly.

I notice you use the fingers as well as the right hand.

Yes, I use the fingers, for more rapid programs and to eliminate the slide from one note to another.

What would happen if someone were to pass in front of the instrument while you play? 

The pitch would be completely distorted, and the volume affected, as that person would also be in the electro-magnetic field.

What do you think is the place of the Theremin in the future?

That of a solo instrument, as a part of a chamber music ensemble, and a very valuable addition to a symphony orchestra because of its unlimited volume and different tone color.

Clara Rockmore, theremin virtuoso.

5 Secrets for Mastering the Theremin, From the Legendary Clara Rockmore

One of the world’s first electronic music virtuosos left behind handy rules for playing the mysterious instrument.

By Eric Grunhauser | December 18, 2017 | AtlasObscura.com

MANY PEOPLE WHO KNOW THE electronic instrument known as a theremin associate it with otherworldly science fiction warbles or eerie horror story accompaniment. But Clara Rockmore, possibly the first great theremin virtuoso, saw those associations as insults. She championed the instrument as a legitimate classical instrument that deserves a place in the pit, right next to the violins and piano. An early, pioneering proponent of electronic music, Rockmore was as serious as anyone has ever been about the theremin, and luckily, she left behind a number of valuable lessons about playing and appreciating the instrument. (In case you’re inclined to get one of your own.)

For those unfamiliar with the magic of the theremin, the instrument was created in the 1920s by inventor Léon Theremin. Unlike traditional instruments, which require the player to actually touch them, the theremin is hands-off. It requires the artist to place her hands in midair between a pair of antenna, and then move them in space to disrupt and alter an electromagnetic field. In response, the machine puts out buzzy, tremulous sounds that, with the proper skill, can be shaped into any number of forms. But it isn’t easy.

Without the traditional physical input and output of most instruments, playing the theremin requires precise body control, and can seem particularly abstract to many aspiring virtuosos. Rockmore embraced its ephemeral nature, and hoped to demystify the esoteric instrument by making it a regular fixture of classical performance.

Born in 1911 in what is now Lithuania, Rockmore was a violin prodigy who came to the United States to study music. She eventually met Theremin—who eventually proposed to her, unsuccessfully—and took up his experimental instrument. During her lifetime, she became the premiere theremin performer in America and possibly the world, performing in a number of concert halls, even touring with the great Paul Robeson. In 1977, she released her first and only album, The Art of the Theremin, a collection of classical performances that was produced by friend and fellow electronic music pioneer Robert Moog.

A documentary on the theremin, featuring footage of Rockmore’s final performance, was released in 1993, It renewed interest in the instrument, and Rockmore began compiling her thoughts on how to play the instrument into the Clara Rockmore Method for Theremin. She passed away in 1998, but her collection of written lessons and general advice is now available for free (as per her wishes). If you want to try “playing the air,” this is where you should begin.

(Above) Clara Rockmore in her later years plays "The Swan" by Saint-Saëns.

Let your fingers do the talking.

Rockmore developed a precise technique for finger placement when she played the theremin that allowed her to control the sound with a then-unparalleled degree of clarity. As she wrote, “you don’t need hammers to work with air.” Rockmore, as seen in footage of her playing a theremin, moves her fingers in the air almost as though they are plucking invisible harp strings, with the forefinger of her right hand pressed firmly to her thumb. “Think of your fingers as delicate butterfly wings, and you will get further than if you use strength,” she wrote.

Remember that your whole body is part of the instrument.

Early in the guide, Rockmore wrote, “Don’t forget your whole body is an electro-conductor, in the electro-magnetic field, and it is therefore necessary to control the slightest motion—not only of hands and fingers.” With other instruments, a musician is free to move, dip, strut, and nod her head to the beat, but since playing the theremin is all about interacting with the invisible field projected in the vicinity of the instrument, every motion impacts the sound. In the book Theremin: Ether Music and Espionage, Rockmore is quoted as stressing the control of emotion, and thus bodily movement. This isn’t to say that theremin players can’t jam, but it does mean they have to focus a bit more when they do it.

Pay attention to your surroundings.

Along those same lines, it’s not just your body you have to worry about when playing the theremin; others standing or passing too close can interfere with the instrument’s pitch field. “Make sure no one passes by, as you are playing, and enters the electro-magnetic field from the other side, immediately affecting the performance,” she wrote in her manual. Even more specifically, she warned that violinists’ bows and conductors’ batons could be problems in a tight orchestra space.

Learn some music theory!

Despite being a huge proponent of the theremin and its use as a legitimate orchestral instrument, Rockmore also felt that it should not be anyone’s first instrument. In a 1977 interview with Moog, she stated, “One should not learn to play the theremin as his first instrument. The first fundamentals of music should be learned on the piano.” Later, in her guide, Rockmore elaborated, saying that anyone looking to play the theremin should first learn to read music, and study theory and harmony—just as many violinists do. The worst thing that someone could do is pick up the theremin just to create more spooky sound effects. In fact, Rockmore, who often turned down uncanny soundtrack work, began her guide by addressing it to “future ‘thereminists’—those who approach and welcome it, as yet another voice, with which to interpret real music, not a magic toy for producing strange and eerie sounds.”

Commune with your theremin.

Each theremin can have variations in its playing field that need to be adjusted to a performer’s specific playing style. “Tune to your own body capacity,” she wrote. Early theremins had a much more limited range of sounds than later models, and Rockmore even had Theremin himself build her a special version that gave her more accuracy and control than the publicly available RCA model of the day. The field also needs to be adjusted so that the musician’s movements can be contained with it and produce the desired range of tones. Luckily, modern theremins tend to be easier in this regard.

Rockmore’s guide also includes a number of specific exercises for beginning theremin players, though unsurprisingly, you’ll need to be able to read sheet music to use them.

Today, classical performers such as Carolina Eyck (who has a number of instructional theremin videos on YouTube) continue Rockmore’s mission to establish the theremin as a serious orchestral instrument, and not a musical oddity, but Rockmore’s influence is still felt. In 2016, on the occasion of what would have been her 105th birthday, Google dedicated a Doodle to her, which is actually a miniature, playable theremin lesson. Maybe, in time, with the help of her teachings and the work of those she seems to have inspired, the theremin will have a true place in the pit.

(Below) Jimmy Page plays the theremin during "Whole Lotta Love" in the Led Zepplin documentary, The Song Remains the Same.

[More thereminalia coming soon!]