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June 24, 2007 10:54 PM Subscribe
A lot of people might think the theremin is a crazy instrument, but I don't think this is what they have in mind
This post was deleted for the following reason: METAFILTER HAS GONE THEREMINSANE -- cortex
I'm almost as sick of amateur theremin players as I am of one-link YouTube posts.
posted by kyleg at 11:04 PM on June 24, 2007
posted by kyleg at 11:04 PM on June 24, 2007
I'm almost as sick of amateur theremin players as I am of one-link YouTube posts.
I dunno, kyleg, that guy had a pretty darn good control of the instrument, as far as I can tell. And, anyway, presuming he is an amateur, does your comment, coming from someone who describes himself as an "amateur everything" on his userpage, perhaps reflect a little self-loathing?
I should know, self-loathing is one of my specialties...
posted by flapjax at midnite at 11:13 PM on June 24, 2007 [1 favorite]
I dunno, kyleg, that guy had a pretty darn good control of the instrument, as far as I can tell. And, anyway, presuming he is an amateur, does your comment, coming from someone who describes himself as an "amateur everything" on his userpage, perhaps reflect a little self-loathing?
I should know, self-loathing is one of my specialties...
posted by flapjax at midnite at 11:13 PM on June 24, 2007 [1 favorite]
Are there many professional theremin players? I mean musicians who play the theremin as their primary instrument? It seems pretty hard to imagine there's much demand.
posted by delmoi at 11:28 PM on June 24, 2007
posted by delmoi at 11:28 PM on June 24, 2007
This posting will be closed to comments soon. So until then let's just hijack the thread.
So... What's the weather like where you are? It's raining here. It's been raining solid for a week now, but a farmer recently said that the mayflower opened (or something) so it'll be a wet summer.
posted by humblepigeon at 11:34 PM on June 24, 2007
So... What's the weather like where you are? It's raining here. It's been raining solid for a week now, but a farmer recently said that the mayflower opened (or something) so it'll be a wet summer.
posted by humblepigeon at 11:34 PM on June 24, 2007
Well, I missed it the first time, delmoi, so thanks. :)
The theremin was designed to be easy to play, but has the reputation of actually being harder than almost any other instrument. That guy has it nailed.
posted by Malor at 11:43 PM on June 24, 2007
The theremin was designed to be easy to play, but has the reputation of actually being harder than almost any other instrument. That guy has it nailed.
posted by Malor at 11:43 PM on June 24, 2007
The Theremin is a prominent instrument for The Polyphonic Spree.
posted by honest knave at 11:47 PM on June 24, 2007
posted by honest knave at 11:47 PM on June 24, 2007
Here's a fellow who's taken time out of his busy life as a professional theremin player to give you a little demonstration on exactly how the instrument is played.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 11:51 PM on June 24, 2007
posted by flapjax at midnite at 11:51 PM on June 24, 2007
Well flapjax, since you asked and since this will all be gone soon, lost to all but those who seek it out, my dissatisfaction is with the proliferation of such unoriginal performances as the one linked here. I doubt that Léon Theremin intended his invention to be used to replace the vocal track in covers of pop songs, but there are so many other musicians out there using it in interesting ways that it is impossible to discount the instrument itself.
These videos may be fine for a layman's introduction to the theremin, and I'm sure it required a great deal of practice to learn to play the songs, but it is no more than a novelty act. Seeing the videos spread all over the tubes as the latest meme is merely yet another day in the cycles of interweb popularity.
posted by kyleg at 12:00 AM on June 25, 2007
These videos may be fine for a layman's introduction to the theremin, and I'm sure it required a great deal of practice to learn to play the songs, but it is no more than a novelty act. Seeing the videos spread all over the tubes as the latest meme is merely yet another day in the cycles of interweb popularity.
posted by kyleg at 12:00 AM on June 25, 2007
I find this instructional video very helpful.
posted by chillmost at 12:00 AM on June 25, 2007 [1 favorite]
posted by chillmost at 12:00 AM on June 25, 2007 [1 favorite]
Wolof, that Hoffman clip just goes to show: behind every successful (theremin-playing) man, there's a good woman.
And that announcer, what a familiar voice. I have a feeling I've been hearing that guy's voice my whole life.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 12:02 AM on June 25, 2007
And that announcer, what a familiar voice. I have a feeling I've been hearing that guy's voice my whole life.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 12:02 AM on June 25, 2007
Doubles need their own theremin soundtrack.
I remember when, I remember, I remember when I posted a double...
There was something so mean about that place...
posted by phaedon at 12:42 AM on June 25, 2007
I remember when, I remember, I remember when I posted a double...
There was something so mean about that place...
posted by phaedon at 12:42 AM on June 25, 2007
Seeing the videos spread all over the tubes as the latest meme is merely yet another day in the cycles of interweb popularity.
I can has viral cliché?
posted by chuckdarwin at 1:15 AM on June 25, 2007
I can has viral cliché?
posted by chuckdarwin at 1:15 AM on June 25, 2007
I doubt that Léon Theremin intended his invention to be used to replace the vocal track in covers of pop songs,
kyleg: I'd agree that this certainly isn't the most creative use of the theremin, but how Theremin intended his instrument to be used, apart from being mere speculation on your part, is actually not even relevant to any discussion about the instrument. For example, Adolphe Sax (inventor of, of course, the saxophone) certainly never envisioned what Ornette Coleman or Evan Parker or John Coltrane or Albert Ayler would be doing with the instrument, but, er, who cares? Musical instruments, if they're successful and outlive their inventor, will almost certainly find their way into musical applications that the inventor couldn't possibly have imagined. Which is as it should be.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 2:15 AM on June 25, 2007
kyleg: I'd agree that this certainly isn't the most creative use of the theremin, but how Theremin intended his instrument to be used, apart from being mere speculation on your part, is actually not even relevant to any discussion about the instrument. For example, Adolphe Sax (inventor of, of course, the saxophone) certainly never envisioned what Ornette Coleman or Evan Parker or John Coltrane or Albert Ayler would be doing with the instrument, but, er, who cares? Musical instruments, if they're successful and outlive their inventor, will almost certainly find their way into musical applications that the inventor couldn't possibly have imagined. Which is as it should be.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 2:15 AM on June 25, 2007
I really quite enjoyed this cover and listened to it several times and couldn't give a fucking rats ass if it was how the inventor of the theremin intended it to be used. Jesus. Who the fuck cares how he intended it to be used? Do you think the inventor of the guitar intended it to be used to play 120 db power chords at an audience of 70000 stoned teenagers? or that anyone fucking cares?
posted by lastobelus at 3:17 AM on June 25, 2007
posted by lastobelus at 3:17 AM on June 25, 2007
In a perfect world the Theremin would have been used in the original Star Trek opening.
posted by Mr.Encyclopedia at 3:34 AM on June 25, 2007
posted by Mr.Encyclopedia at 3:34 AM on June 25, 2007
Do you think the inventor of the guitar intended it to be used to play 120 db power chords at an audience of 70000 stoned teenagers?
Do you think that the inventor of the orchestral harp could've envisioned what Joanna Newsom (or Harpo Marx, for that matter) has done with the instrument?
Even better: do you think the first Neanderthal who banged a stick on a hollow log would be insulted by "Bonzo's Montreux"?
posted by chuckdarwin at 3:39 AM on June 25, 2007
Do you think that the inventor of the orchestral harp could've envisioned what Joanna Newsom (or Harpo Marx, for that matter) has done with the instrument?
Even better: do you think the first Neanderthal who banged a stick on a hollow log would be insulted by "Bonzo's Montreux"?
posted by chuckdarwin at 3:39 AM on June 25, 2007
Anybody know why, when I click on YouTube links from here, the new Firefox tab just shows the source code and not the finished page?
posted by pax digita at 3:43 AM on June 25, 2007
posted by pax digita at 3:43 AM on June 25, 2007
did you install the u-source, tubecode, or youtubedismantler extensions?
posted by lastobelus at 3:47 AM on June 25, 2007
posted by lastobelus at 3:47 AM on June 25, 2007
do you think the first Neanderthal who banged a stick on a hollow log would be insulted by "Bonzo's Montreux"?
Actually, no. Bonham and the Neanderthals have a surprising amount in common.
And I say that as a HUGE John Bonham fan.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 4:14 AM on June 25, 2007
Actually, no. Bonham and the Neanderthals have a surprising amount in common.
And I say that as a HUGE John Bonham fan.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 4:14 AM on June 25, 2007
did you install the u-source, tubecode, or youtubedismantler extensions?
No, no and no. Weirdly, once in a while a link will open normally, too.
posted by pax digita at 4:21 AM on June 25, 2007
No, no and no. Weirdly, once in a while a link will open normally, too.
posted by pax digita at 4:21 AM on June 25, 2007
Bonham and the Neanderthals have a surprising amount in common.
Werd.
posted by Wolof at 4:40 AM on June 25, 2007
Werd.
posted by Wolof at 4:40 AM on June 25, 2007
God, that was annoying.
posted by LordSludge at 5:53 AM on June 25, 2007
posted by LordSludge at 5:53 AM on June 25, 2007
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posted by painquale at 10:59 PM on June 24, 2007