Category: Jam Session
I wonder, if a blind person can play a theremin. I've heard it being played a few times, and simply fell in love with that beautiful sound, it makes, when played right. I want to learn to play it too, but a sighted friend of mine keeps telling me that I can't, because I can't touch the instrument. What do you think out there?
I have seen one of these for about five seconds, and my conclusion is that surely, if your earsa re good enough/you are musical enough, you woudln't have a problem. What has it to do with vision? With practice, you know what the various distances between your hands and the instruments will result in>
Some background information for those who don't know>
The most unique feature of the theremin is that it is played without touching it! With carefully controlled hand gestures moving through two electromagnetic
fields (one for volume, one for pitch), the thereminist is able to pluck music out of thin air--out of the "ether" so to speak-- hence one of the early
names for this instrument, the aetherphone. Professor Termen's name was later anglicized to Leon Theremin, and his improved design became known as the
Thereminvox. Finally the generic term "theremin" made its way into the musical lexicon to describe any of these instruments.
I agree. I've never encountered a Theremin in real life, but I think I have enough of a sense of pitch where I bet I could play one. I'd just have to find somebody who could let me play it and see. Once I oriented myself to the instrument and figured how to position myself I would just ahve to play by ear. It's not like a sighted person can see the electromagnetic fields, can they?
I've seen one once. Yes you could play it once you got used to it, also, having good natural intination would help.
There's a great documentary on the Moog synthesizer that I caught recently; a good chunk of it is devoted to the theremin. Definitely check it out if you get the chance; especially if you're into electronic music.
I used to be able to read touch tones...I jus stopped trying because I could understand everyone's damn phone passwords. so for me it isn't a question of pitch or even of knowing where I am in space but of how much space I have.
I am looking in to learning to play one. people are already telling me to hurry so they can have me play on game soundtracks, once I show them what I'm talking about.
hell never tell someone you are or intend to be able to do something few can do. they'll ask you for the rest of your life. lol!
I own a theremin. Granted I can't play it yet but I see no reason why I couldn't learn. Only reason I haven't is because the theremin wants a reasonable amount of space to play properly. Yo don't want a cramped space to practice in ecause that can actually interfere with its operation. But I know of one legally blind thereminist in particular who's fairly well-known in that community.