Back in the day when Led Zeppelin was popular, did you know that Jimmy Page was seen as an evil sorcerer, I know it sounds like crazy...but it was at that time...

Lets take a closer look at what instrument Jimmy used the at that time. He used a tiny little box with an antenna and yes...that is Theremin!

Moving onwards to the origin, back in 1920s a Russian physicist and a cello player, named Leon Theremin built the first ever Theremin. That instrument actually gained so much popularity at that that time and eventually in 1994, a film called "Theremin: An Electronic Odyssey", that it made the instrument gain more popularity among musicians and also the filmmakers.

You must be thinking that Leon was welcomed after did the Theremin, but no... instead of getting welcomed by the Russians he was sent to a workcamp where he was forced to create listening tools and bugging devices to be used by the secret police. But after many years, Leon was released from soviet camp and free out of his life. Then, Leon went to work at the Moscow Conservatory of Music where he continued to build the Theremin and train musicians in the playing of the instrument. Theremin’s last pupil was his grand niece Lydia Kavina, who is now considered one of the best Theremin players in the world.

Type of Electrophone:

Electronic musical instrument (instruments in which make sound primarily by way of electrically driven oscillators)

Characteristics:

The Theremin as we know, is shattering and and sharp. You can make it sound the same as a violin string. The higher the pitch goes the smaller and thinner it becomes. A simple way to understand its sound is like a mosquito passing our ear. But doesn't meant it it just can sound like that, because it can make a damper sound. The highest it can go is C to c5, and the lowest register it can go C1 to c3.

How it works:

Theremin is an instrument that is played without any physical contact. It is controlled by hand and finger movements in the proximity of two metal antennas, where the right hand controls the (frequency) pitch of the instrument and the left hand controls the (amplitude) volume.

Uses:

Theremin can seen played in classical music performances, film music, theatre and performing arts, and also in popular music. It's recognizable sound can be heard throughout many old motion picture films from the 1900s, especially in 1940s in films such as "The Red House" and "Spellbound".

Fun Facts:

• The only instrument that is played without any physical contact

• The oldest electronic musical instrument

• First instrument to create musical sound using a non-acoustic mechanism