Week 3 September 19, 2023

 Theremin
o The theremin is not an often talked about instrument. However, it has had a strong
impact on Western Society.
o It was first created by the Russian physicist Leon Theremin in 1919.
o It can be dubbed as the very first electronic instrument. It appeared around the
beginning of the electronic age.
o It is based on the electrical oscillator. That can produce a sign wave tone.
o Consists of two antennas. There was a straight one at the top and a P shaped one at
the side.
o The upright antenna controls the pitch and the other controlled dynamics.
o You didn’t need to touch the instrument’s interface to make a sound. The hands
were used to manipulate the sound.
o There was a crisis in the start of the 20th century, where it was commonly felt that
the classical musicians had exhausted their work.
o At a 1927 concert, Theremin was interviewed and he predicted that his invention
would change the way music was played.
o Stated that it would challenge the dominance of equal temperament. That everyone
would go to A-tonal music (popular at the time) instead
o The electronic age also created electronic recording.
o It created a situation where records started becoming more prominent as well as
the Talkies (movies)
o With the advent of the second world war we see where the US started to become
more prosperous. As a result, people started having disposal income. Kids in
particular used them to buy records.
o The Theremin was particularly popular in sci-fi movies such as The Day the World
Stood Still and Forbidden Planet.
o The Bob Moog created the synthesizer from the idea of the Theramin.
o Found in songs such as Good Vibrations – Beach Boyz and Whole Lotta Love – Led
Zepplin
o Bands like these came during the Communism and used the instrument to make a
statement against the status quoue
o Vaccuum tube invented in 1904// transistors 1947// microprocessor 1971 (all had
massive change on the technology)

 Tonality
o A tonal music- the absence of diatonic harmony
o Diatonic harmony
 rhcourseinfo@gmail.com

Next week electric guitar and synthesizer.

  Low

Gabriel Fore- Nocturne #4

Prior to the chording tech. Brought this style of music from the concert hall to the personal level

Composed on the idea of equal temperament. The idea of temperament means the 12 note system
(divided in frequencies).

The use of tempermanet is the foundation of western harmony. Our modern western tonal system is
based on equal temperament.

Equal temperament allows the use of the 12 notes of the.