Theremin

electronic music · weird instruments · hands-free

No touching needed. The theremin is played by moving your hands near two metal antennas, not by pressing keys or strings. The closer your hand gets to each antenna, the higher or lower the sound becomes.

Sounds like a ghost. The theremin makes eerie, ghostly sounds that slide smoothly between notes, which is why you hear it in old horror movies and spooky music.

Invented in 1928. A Russian inventor named Leon Theremin created this instrument and got it patented, which means he officially owned the idea and got to name it after himself.

Uses invisible waves. The theremin works because your hands change an invisible electromagnetic field around the antennas, and the instrument turns those changes into musical sounds.

Takes real skill. Playing the theremin is tricky because you have to move your hands very precisely to hit the right notes, and even small movements can make big changes in the sound.