Theremin - A Musical Instrument That Requires No Physical Touch

Regardless of what musical instruments you play whether it might be guitar, drum, piano or even flute, it will require the person to physically touch it to make a sound. However, most of you might not have heard of this particular instrument that does not require you to physically touch it but it can produce a beautiful melody.

It is known as "Theremin" which is an odd musical instrument that has been produced at this moment. It does not have any strings or knots but instead only 2 metal rods that produce sound without any touch sensation.

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For you to play it, the player will only need to make a certain move of their hand in the air and a very sharp and loud sound will be produced similar to the opera. The big question is where does the sound really come from?

An Invention of Serendipity

The unique thing is that this musical instrument was invented accidentally. It all started back in 1919 when a Russian scientist, Lev Sergeyevich Termen or well known as Leon Theremin of the West was creating a high-frequency oscillator machine to measure the dielectric constant of gas.

When Termen decided to add more audio circuits to the machine so that it will produce a sound when the readings are taken, he found out that the machine does not only react to the dielectric constant of the gas but also to the people's presence around the machine.

By changing the position or moving the ladders or even moving around the device, Termen realized that he can make the machine produce strange noises.

Introduction As Musical Instrument

From the start, Termen introduced his latest invention to several scientists and his friends. He believed that the device he created is worthy to be considered as a musical instrument.

It took him roughly one year to master the machine he created to make some music. Later on, he did a performance to the public by showing the capability of his unique musical instrument.

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At first, he wanted to name his creation "etherphone". But not long after, the instrument was generally known as "Termenvox" in the Soviet Union and "Theremin" in the United States of America.

The Concept of Theremin

A Theremin is usually square-shaped and has 2 antennas - 1 vertically and 1 horizontally. The musician will stand in front of this device and start moving their hand in between these two antennas as well as changing the electromagnetic field capacity that is produced by the antennas.

The electrical signal that is produced by the antennas will be strengthened and channeled to the speaker. The vertical antenna function to control the pitch while the coiled horizontal antenna will control the intensity of the sound produced.

When the hand is moved closer toward the antenna, the pitch will become more intense, and the other way around when the hand is moved away from the antenna. Additionally, when the hand is moved at a faster pace, the musician will be able to make some interesting and unique sounds.

Theremin's Intro To The Whole World

After a meeting with Vladimir Lenin who was the former Premier of the Soviet Union, Terman was sent to the whole of Russia to do performances using his unique musical instrument. It was obvious that it has gotten the attention of many people.

Then he was sent to perform an audition in Europe and the United States of America. This allowed him to make a debut for himself to the whole world regarding advanced Russian technology through the creation of unique kinds of music and the first of its kind.

Termen was a huge success as it managed to win a huge contract with RCA company which is a radio corporation in America to manufacture musical instruments and sell them commercially. Unfortunately, the demands were not there and only 500 units were ever sold.

Termen's Secret As a Spy

Despite being well known as a musician or scientist that created Theremin, many did not know how Termen was once a spy working for KGB owned by the Soviet Union. RCA company at the time was one of the most popular electronic companies in the US.

Its close relationship with this company and other big companies like GE, Westinghouse, and aviation companies has allowed him to find new discoveries and innovations in these companies.

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This top-secret information was then channeled to the KGB. Termen also owned a company that create drum machines and other things like alarm systems and electric fences. But all of his creations did not get much attention from the public resulting in Termen being in huge debt.

Termen got married to a ballet dancer but due to financial issues, he decided to run away to the Soviet Union leaving behind his wife in the US. Termen's action came as a surprise and many speculate that he was abducted by the KGB.

Even though he was no longer promoting Theremin, this particular musical instrument quickly spread in Hollywood. In fact, many producers at the time used Theremin to make background music in their films such as Music out of the Moon, It Came from Outer Space, The Lost Weekend, and many more.

Theremin As of Now

This musical instrument still exists today despite being hard to find. Theremin has remained to be a very unique instrument that is full of mystery due to the difficulty of mastering the device.

Stephen Dunnington, an engineer at Moog Music, the company responsible for making Theremin revealed to CBS News how they managed to sell thousands of this musical instrument but in reality, only a few individuals have ever used it.

Many people might have not heard of this musical instrument but many musicians out there have once heard the sound produced by this device through several popular bands in the 60s and 70s like Led Zepplin, The Beach Boys, and The Rolling Stones.

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