Play it, but don’t touch it

Electronic instruments may seem like a newfangled invention, but the truth is that they’ve been around for a while. The theremin, for one, was invented in 1919 by a Russian physicist with the same surname. It’s really unique, mostly because it’s the only instrument that you can play without touching it. A theremin consists of a box with two metal antennae – one upright, one looped – that create an electric field. To play it, you simply need to move your hands between the two antennae to form a capacitor. A capacitor is a device that can store an electric charge. Music relies on vibrations (think of guitar strings), so with electric instruments, electric currents cause a speaker to vibrate. It might sound simple, but it’s anything but. Without keys, holes or fingerboard positions, learning to play a theremin is extremely challenging because the notes are essentially in the air.