I just bought a theremin

[flamingyouth]

I've wanted one for a long time and since Fenris is here I thought I'd get it so we can try to figure it out together. Has anyone ever played one before? I'm a huge fan of the theremin. I guess I can add this to my collection of musical instruments. With my sitar, guitar, ukulele, dulcimer and harmonium, I think I can form the world's weirdest band now. :D

[Goldmund]

1. Woah

Wickid! I've always wanted one.

[RandomKoolzip]

2. Congratualations!

Now you just need Robert Plant to come over an simulate an orgasm for three minutes.

[hatrack]

3. Dude! That is seriously cool!

You're the only person I've ever heard of with their own thermin (though I hear that they're not that difficult to build).

In conclusion let me simply add the following: "Ooooooo-EEEEEEEEEEEE-OOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

:hi:

[flamingyouth]

18. I feel a little like Mentok the Mind Taker

The judge on Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law. :D

[cestpaspossible]

4. I've always wanted one too

what kind did you get? one of the kits? a used one? more details please...

[flamingyouth]

19. It's a Moog and I played it in the store earlier this week.

:D

[Magrittes Pipe]

5. I love you.

:loveya:

[flamingyouth]

20. I knew that you'd appreciate it

:D

[LSparkle]

6. Whoo-hooooooooooo Good Vibrations!

VERY cool indeed. You can now recreate the soundtrack to a hundred horror movies ...

[BikeWriter]

7. Those are some cool instruments, Pard. When do we hear...

some recordings? :)

[NewYorkerfromMass]

8. Here's wishing you 'Good Vibrations'! eom

[Reverend_Smitty]

9. spoooooky!

it's such a cool instrument...it always reminds me of cheesy horror movies

[Enraged_Ape]

10. How much did it cost (if you don't mind me asking)?

I've always wanted one of those.

[flamingyouth]

24. They run between $200 and $400

There's also a pocket theremin for about $150 which is pretty cool too. :D

[Beware the Beast Man]

11. Oh that is just awesome!

I'll have to settle for the theremin VSTi plugin I have for my computer. Sounds real enough...

[asthmaticeog]

12. !!!!!!!!!

COOL!

It's easy to learn, difficult to master. Try it through effects. Delay and flange are both awesome with Theremins, especially if you overuse them. ;)

[flamingyouth]

22. They also gave me a DVD of "How to Play" & the documentary

on Theremin, which I've always wanted to see. I expect to spend many evenings sitting in my living room, freaking out the neighbors. :D

[tigereye]

27. way to go!

Don't know anyone else who has one. We'll be expecting recordings at some point, from you guys, you know.... :)

[flamingyouth]

28. I can't imagine how this ensemble would sound.

But luckily, Neil's quite a good guitar player, so he can handle the stringed instruments. I look forward to being Mistress of the Theremin, with lots of practice. :D

[asthmaticeog]

29. Ooooh, that documentary kicks high ass.

There's a woman in it who plays the thing well enough to pass it off as a viola. It's fucking mindboggling.

[flamingyouth]

30. I wanted to see it when it was playing here but didn't

Now I know what we'll be watching tonight - a perfect companion to our 1920s silent Soviet sci-fi epic. :D

[China_cat]

34. Is that Buddy Holly's wife?

She was really good with the theremin.

[asthmaticeog]

47. No, it was a Russian woman.

She was elderly, a contemporary of Leon Theremin himself.

However, I didn't know that about Buddy Holly's wife. What was her name? Are there any recordings? I must confess, I'm very intrigued by this news.

[Blue in a Red State]

13. Cool

I've always wanted one too. That, and steel drums, mon. :)

[Rick Myers]

14. Cool!!!

I always wanted to get a therimin, even if just to make Star Trek noises in the living room...

You two have a GREAT WEEKEND!!!

:hi:

Rick

[flamingyouth]

25. Thanks - he's been here for two weeks now

And he's already painted the basement, cleaned the gutters and helped me plant a vegetable garden. Practicing the theremin should be fun by comparison. :D

[MuseRider]

15. That should be fun!

I saw Bela Fleck and the Flecktones last summer and he had a theremin player. Before that I had heard them but never seen one played. Lots of style there.

[leftofthedial]

16. too cool!

keep us posted on your weird ensemble!

you need a banjo, or a banjolele.

[Strawman]

17. That's very cool

I want one now.

[scarlet_owl]

21. Neat. Those are cool.

Where on Earth can you get one? I have never seen one for sale.

[Dukkha]

23. Cool! I love theramins!

You'll be able to creep out your neighbors with it.

ooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooo

[Redstone]

26. Weeyou, weeeyooooo, woooyeee...

Man, you gonna have some fun. and spook the hell out of your neighbors late at night.

Did you buy it assembled, or are you going to build it from a kit?

Redstone

[swag]

Do you think it's the one that got swiped from the Blues Explosion

in Vancouver a few years back?

[flamingyouth]

32. I hope not!

}(

[swag]

33. It's okay. A guy at OMSI built JS a knew one.

[swag]

31. Do you think it's the one that got swiped from the Blues Explosion

in Vancouver a few years back?

[Squeech]

35. I know half a dozen people with Theremins

This is another reason why Boston kicks ass. There's a band called the Lothars (named after Lothar and the Hand People, classic '60s Theremin band) with three Theremins, and one token guitar :-) And then there are a bunch of other bands where one guy owns one and brings it out on special occasions: Birdsongs of the Mesozoic, Cul de Sac (Robin played it on "The Dragonfly's Bright Eye"), etc.

I should get one, but there are a number of other things I need first, like a decent 2x12 speaker cabinet that can handle my bass.

[flamingyouth]

36. I have the Lothar & the Hand People LP

I'd love to hear the Lothars. They sound awesome.

My boyfriend just saw a great band in Austin called the Octopus Project and they had an amazing theremin player.

I like Birdsongs of the Mesozoic as well. :)

[swag]

37. I am Damo Suzuki

[salin]

38. showing ignorance.... but, what is a theremin?

[flamingyouth]

39. Here's a good website about them:

http://www.thereminworld.com/learn.asp

[salin]

41. Tres Cool!

thanks for the info - very interesting!

[evlbstrd]

40. Let's make a bad sci-fi movie!

I'll play the alien.

[Dr Fate]

42. Or a GOOD one- like Forbidden Planet (a great sound track)

n/t

[evlbstrd]

43. Yes, I love that movie.

And The Day the Earth Stood Still. 2001: A Space Oddysey.

But those are hard.
I like the bad ones, too.
In the words of Zappa, I need a little more cheepnis, please.

[ronzo]

44. Dammit.

I'm in that "always wanted to try one" category.
So, what do you think? Mastered any tunes yet?

[grasswire]

45. I've been thinking of getting a musical saw...

...which makes a tone a wee bit like a theremin. Have you ever played a saw? It's a lot of fun.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

46. Add a glass harmonica

and you will truly have the world's weirdest band.

[Jara sang]

48. I don't even know awhat that is

Can you explain it to me. And if you couldn't tell, I am to lazy to go through and read each response in this thread.:hi:

[goodboy]

49. I saw Keller Williams play one on stage back in Feb. I'm not entirely

sure how to play it, but google.com does!

http://www.wcsscience.com/theremin/page.html

Music is produced by waving your hands near the two antennas; the instrument contains no moving parts. The theremin produces electric fields surrounding each of the two antennas; these fields are affected by the proximity of some other object, like a hand. Moving your hand varies the sound, as explained below.

[Wapsie B]

50. I've never heard of these things.

Ya learn something new everyday. Thanks!

[XNASA]

51. Can you play "Good Vibrations" yet?

That would be cool.

[flamingyouth]

52. No, but I've sufficiently scared most of the cats.

Except for the deaf one. He just stared at it in bemusement.

[Floogeldy]

53. OMG! The Day The Earth Stood Still!

I believe Bernard Herrman was the first writer to conduct the Theremin in 1951!

U R AWESOME for getting a Theremin.

I really enjoyed The Pixies using it in "Velouria."

Is it difficult to play?

B-)

[mitchum]

54. I play one with The Christ Figures...

but it's just a single antenna one (pitch) I use a volume pedal and this frees up my left hand to operate delay regeneration, etc...

The Etherwave is a very nice instrument. Have fun !