Can you play the theremin without touching it?
The theremin, invented in 1920, is played without being touched.
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Theremin Facts
Theremin facts and facts about theremins, from the Random Facts shelf.
11 facts on this shelf
Who invented the theremin?
The theremin was invented in 1920 by Russian physicist Léon Theremin while he was researching sensors that detect motion.
How does a theremin work?
A theremin has two antennas. Moving one hand near the vertical antenna changes the pitch, and moving the other near the loop antenna changes the volume.
Which classic sci-fi movie used a theremin?
Bernard Herrmann's score for the 1951 sci-fi movie "The Day the Earth Stood Still" famously used the theremin to create an otherworldly sound.
Which Oscar-winning score featured a theremin?
Miklós Rózsa's Oscar-winning score for Alfred Hitchcock's 1945 film "Spellbound" featured the theremin.
Did "Good Vibrations" use a theremin?
The Beach Boys' "Good Vibrations" is often said to feature a theremin, but it actually used the Electro-Theremin, a different instrument played with a slider.
Who was Clara Rockmore?
Clara Rockmore was a classical violinist who became the most famous theremin virtuoso.
What spy device did Léon Theremin invent?
Léon Theremin later invented "The Thing," a hidden listening device that the Soviets placed inside a wooden Great Seal given to the US ambassador in Moscow.
Did Robert Moog build theremins?
Robert Moog built theremins as a teenager before inventing the Moog synthesizer.
What is a matryomin?
A matryomin is a theremin built inside a Russian nesting doll, created in Japan.
Why do theremin players have to stay so still?
A theremin responds to the electrical properties of the player's body, so even small movements can change the sound.