Jump to content

has anybody ever played jazz theremin?


Recommended Posts

Yusef Lateef used it on one track on his "A Flat, G Flat and C" album - a great album by the way.

It makes a kind of pure tone whistle sound. You hold a hand near it and the pitch varies according to the distance of your hand from the device. It's just a noise as far as I'm concerned. Yusef has a penchant for trying odds and ends like that, lol.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

successfully, i mean! :P

I don't know about "successfully", but

a guy playing "Satin Doll" on a Theremin. The model? It's a B3, of course!!!

And

a rather painful version of Monk's "Ruby, My Dear". Tough melody to play on any instrument, and this version is woefully out of tune. :rhappy:

Edited by DukeCity
Link to comment
Share on other sites

How do you tell when someone's playing air theremin ?

Easy. It looks like they are wanking.

There are not many harmonics apart from the fundamental sine wave, if any at all. It just sounds like one of those sine wave generators that they used to have in Physics labs.

They also make a Bb soprano theremin, and a contrabass one in C with a kink in the neck.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There are not many harmonics apart from the fundamental sine wave, if any at all. It just sounds like one of those sine wave generators that they used to have in Physics labs.

The theremins I've heard sound a bit bright to have no harmonics. That's why they sound bright - the harmonics.

I don't need to go to a Physics lab, I can just turn on a synthesizer to hear a sine tone.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't need to go to a Physics lab, I can just turn on a synthesizer to hear a sine tone.

A skilled theremin player is able to control pitch, dynamics, vibrato, and portamento with only two hands. To (accurately) recreate a theremin part on the synthesizer, you would need one person twiddling knobs while another plays the part, and they have to coordinate their movements.

Trust me - I have two monophonic synthesizers and a theremin.

Check out Clara Rockmore and Theremin's niece (forget her name offhand) to hear what a theremin is really capable of. A bitch of an instrument to play well.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...