First, be sure to work with Part 1 of this series; that is where you learn the basics of the “hand fan,” and you’ll need to be proficient with it when tackling this lesson. We’ll experiment with rhythms that get progressively more rapid and complex. Be sure to record yourself when working on this and [...]
In the first of this four-part sequence of lessons, we’ll review every volume hand technique and begin working toward techniques that help with greater relaxation while playing, cleaner articulation, and the ability to play more rapidly. The new “transitional” technique shown here lays the groundwork for what’s to come, so, make sure to record yourself [...]
Under the auspices of the New York Theremin Society, I was privileged to be part of an evening with four other thereminists. Cinematographer, Kasper Tuxen was on hand and although he shot only very brief sequences of our performances, the celebratory atmosphere and overwhelming audience enthusiasm in very much in evidence. So, here’s a little [...]
We usually think of the pitch hand primarily as the source of muscle memory, intuiting the actual location of any given pitch as well as the guide for intonation – the ability to stay on pitch. However, using a very simple hand movement, the hand can also aid in articulation. Try it out.
Lesson 9 from Lessons from Vinegar Mother. This version features new original video as intended for the performance piece. The spoken material is also clearer than the Asheville footage. The Cornelia Street Café is a much more intimate setting (with a much smaller stage) and it certainly captures the immediacy of the experience. A thousand [...]
Practicing the “upstroke” against a surface above your volume hand as you’ve been doing was a great way to build coordination, endurance and create the sense memory of a physical reference point. Now, you’ll take this movement over the volume loop to work on isolated and complex rhythmic patterns.