United States Service Medley

[MrBeJeCa95]

I would love to learn how to play the Theremin some day. Is it relatively easy to learn? I mean to learn things like the song you are playing in this video. Or is it a pretty difficult thing to master? I am thinking of investing in a Theremin, I am not entirely sure about it yet. Please get back to me on this, thanks very much.

[ThomasGrillo]

@MrBeJeCa95 The theremin is considered to be ther most difficult instrument to play "well" (not to be confused with the most difficult instrument to play, which is the pipe organ). This is because of the added need to be careful with balance, excess movements, even breathing when playing the theremin. This instrument works on your capacitence. You become part of a capacitence circuit to control both the volume and pitch with your hands. It takes years to master like violin. But it's rewarding.

[IqSNarwhalZZ]

It Sounds like an Opera singer and I have noticed it is basically mimicking playing a backwards guitaar, but this is soo much better, I appreciate your music, you play beautifully!

[ThomasGrillo]

@IqSNarwhalZZ Thank you. ;)

[rudisrudis24]

You are in ILLUMINATI

[ThomasGrillo]

@rudisrudis24 Thank you. I'll have to check that out.

[MotoGuzzi7]

Hi Mr. Thomas Grillo.

Have you ever considered attempting or volunteering to play for the opening of The Indianapolis 500 race?

I believe you would have the potential of becoming as much an American Icon as Jim Nabors "Back Home Again in Indiana", The Balloon Release and the War birds Fly By.

I commented on one of your videos before and you were kind enough to respond.

Thank You.

"Ave Maria" and "Danny Boy" are wonderful.

[ThomasGrillo]

@MotoGuzzi7 Hi! :) Thanks for the kind words. If those kinds of events ever pony up the dough to get me there, and cover my fees, lodging, transportation, ect, I'd do it in a heartbeat. :)

[hotdogsrock]

well i have to find a husband first.. but after that you're in. hahaha.

[ThomasGrillo]

@hotdogsrock I wish you all the best with your quest. :)

[hotdogsrock]

do you do weddings??!

[ThomasGrillo]

@hotdogsrock I've yet to do a wedding with the theremin. However, I would certainly be up to it if you needed it. :)

[ThereminWeirdo]

As wicked cool as the Jimi Hendrix rendition of the Nat'l Anthem

[ThomasGrillo]

@ThereminWeirdo Indeed. Thanks. :)

[saltyshellback]

Cool instrument, and very good performance. It sounds like you are playing a saw with a violin bow (Yes I have done this). It almost doesn't look real!  Nice video and thanks for honoring those who served.

[ThomasGrillo]

@saltyshellback Thanks for the kind words, and you're welcome. :)

[JohnsonzKid]

I adore the theremin! I respect your skill in playing it :] I've been wanting to try for years. I could never play with a straight face, though, because it always sounds a bit like a spaceship to me. Great piece to play, too. God bless!

[ThomasGrillo]

Thanks. Yeh, it took me a while to get over the spaceship effect. :)

[fatmike109]

U rock

[ThomasGrillo]

Thanks. :)

...And happy new year! :)

[ZShadow]

I like how it eeriely sounds like a woman with an astounding opera voice. Great work yet again!

[ThomasGrillo]

Thanks. ;)

[boobyguy200]

what do they cost ?

[ThomasGrillo]

Between $150 and a couple thousand. Head to my channel for more info.

[hotdogsrock]

Thomas, love the flags, nice touch. Just hearing brings a tear to my eye. You must be one of the most successful men that play the theremin EVER. America salutes you!!

[ThomasGrillo]

Thanks for the very kind words. :)

[BritishBluesMan89]

great job!

i´m a very big fan of you! where can i learn this instrument in germany? are there any special teachers for it? and how much does a theremin cost?

[ThomasGrillo]

Thank you. As far as I know, for one on one, in person instruction, the only teacher is Carolina Eyck. she has a book out which you can get at moogmusic . com.

I also have a DVD available via my web site. I also give lessons via skype.

[holleywaterman]

What are you looking at? Is there a monitor or something we cannot see? Or are you doing this all from memory? Almost sounds like "humming!" You know, a space age kazoo of sorts! LOL

[ThomasGrillo]

Something outside the studio disturbed me for a moment, and I glanced at one of the security monitors to check it out.

Never heard it thought of as a space aged kazoo. lol. :)

[kirbycellist]

omg u never blink

[ThomasGrillo]

Yeh, I get that a lot, lol. :)

[Jukeboxfun]

I never even heard of a theremin until they had one on an episode of "Weeds". Thomas you play very well, however you are the only person I ever saw play one!

[ThomasGrillo]

Thank you. :)

[igotacupprod]

WOW!

You Dont even look down at your hands!

[ThomasGrillo]

Thanks. :)

[KOLiiE]

your music brightened my day :) it tickled my fancy

where can i buy a theremin for personal use

[ThomasGrillo]

Thanks. You can get theremins for personal, and or professional use at the following manufacturers.

soundslikeburns . com, moogmusic . com, theremin . ws, and PAiA . com. As well as ebay for used ones.

[ChopstickBrando]

Dude, you HAVE to be on Letterman!

[ThomasGrillo]

I'd like to do that someday. :)

[Trex100]

This is so freekin bizarre.

[ThomasGrillo]

Indeed. ;)

[Grobanite122549]

woww how do you remember the notes?

[ThomasGrillo]

It takes a month, or two (depending on the works), to master a piece properly on theremin. It also takes several hours each day as well.

Over time, you develope muscle memory.

[djwaugust]

nice moves tommy

[ericn32]

Nice video, but I'm just wondering...

What about the Air Force and Coast Guard marches?

[ThomasGrillo]

I agree one hundred percent. These two branches deserve representation, and as soon as I can track down a public domain, or royalty free version which includes these branches, I will certainly produce such a video.

[ericn32]

cool thanks. Really nice video!

[caitsith93]

Hey Tom, what was the first song called?

[ThomasGrillo]

That first piece in the medly was The Star Spangled Banner. The interprative rythm used by the band heard in this production makes it difficult at first to recognize the tune. I had a particularly tough time mastering this rythmic interp. I kept wanting to play it the way I've allways known it. ;)

[caitsith93]

Thanks

[dumapies]

that's some skill right there...how much is one of those? and man you can keep a straight face

[ThomasGrillo]

The theremin seen here is nolonger produced, but sometimes shows up on e-bay.

Theremins start at $152 for B3 original, 200 for B3 Deluxe, 350 for B3 pro at soundslikeburns.

$350 - $400 for Moog Music Etherwave Standard at moogmusic.

$800 for Wavefront Travelcase, and $1800 for Wavefront Classic at theremin . ws.

There's also a new toy theremin by Gakken for 125 on e-bay. But I hear the audio quality is poor on that one. I have yet to try it my self.

[dumapies]

i think im gonna get the cheapest one because i see no point of blowing 1800$ for the best one not knowing if I will have the skill or patience to play it....there are no written notes for this? just feel?

[ThomasGrillo]

Starting with the cheaper ones is a good way to get to know theremins.

I'm not sure I understand "there are no written notes for this, just feel?" If by notes you mean music, there are works that have been written for theremin.

If you mean how to texts, there are also a few books on how to play.

By "feel", yes, playing the theremin is done without benifit of a touchable interface. You go on intuitive instinct, muscle memory, and ear. All of which is developed over time.

[canthearwithoutmusic]

dude you rock !! yeah yeah awesome!! woohoo

[quinoacat]

Great playing AND I dig that red bowtie...5/5 Stars!

[ThomasGrillo]

Thanks, and happy holidays! ;)

[iekaum]

Awesome mate

[JoshuatheSamurai]

This guy Bears a striking resemblance to Stephen King

[ellis90009]

why did you drop an octave?

[ThomasGrillo]

I did that because the theremin would have sounded a bit too shrilly in that part of the music.

[striker892002]

BRAVO ZULU on Anchors Aweigh! everytime i sing that song now it reminds me of singing for 3 hours straight while doing bunk drills

[DrummerCoCa]

Awesome!

I can't believe how well you can play fast notes. I have to slur almost everything, to some degree.

[ThomasGrillo]

I was the same for my first 4 months on theremin, and then I got a big screen tv, and watched both Clara Rockmore, and Pringle for many hours, and spent a few mor months working on what I observed before I finally caught on. Keep at it. It will fall into place.

[hunter11000]

I'm a military officer-- you brought a tear to my eye! Thanks!

[ThomasGrillo]

Thanks, ;) And thanks for serving! ;)

[papabaer91]

wow, looks really hard to play. but "thereminists" look due to the way a theremin works very odd when playing...

[savageactor6]

bravo, bravo loved it. it seems like it takes a lot of concentration, do you memorize hand positions or do you just feel it??

[ThomasGrillo]

Thanks. I think I'd best describe playing as being a combination of both memorizing hand, arm, and finger positions, and "feeling". You can't feel the feilds, but you can feel what positions your arm, hands, and fingers are in, and over time, we develop what's known as muscle memory. It's a bit like how we show someone how big "the one that got away" was. Having a good ear helps too.

[yuna238]

How much do these Theremins actually cost?

[ThomasGrillo]

The Etherwave Pro in this video cost $1300 new, but is discontinued.

Wavefront makes two models from 800 for travelcase theremin to 1800 for Classic style.

Moogmusic makes the Etherwave Standard for 350 to 400.

Soundslikeburns makes the B3 for 152, Deluxe for 200, and Pro for 300.

PAia makes a kit for 230.

Single antenna theremins are less expensive, but lack the ability to control dynamics.

[scdrumlinepit]

Wonderful job, cool instrument... BUT WHY WASN'T THE AIR FORCE THEME IN THERE????

[ThomasGrillo]

I'm looking for a version of this piece that has it. I agree, the airforce theme should have been there. My folks are retired Air Force. I had hoped to have a version with of this with it last month, but was unable to find a good version suitable for theremin. As soon as I do find a suitable version, the Air Force theme WILL be included.

[kirbycellist]

it sounds like a sci-fi theme

[steleftfield]

How on earth does this work? Are you using some kind of magnet with your left hand?

[ThomasGrillo]

Theremins produce an invisible radio-magnetic field around the antennas. This field is sensitive to our presense, and as we interact with it, changes are made to the electronics inside, affecting tone generating oscilators.

Theremins work on capacitence. Our body becomes a part of the electronic circuit. "we" become a part of a capacitence tank circuit, and the antennas are the capacitence plates.

Moving close to the vertical antenna makes notes go up.

The smaller antenna is for volume.

[ThomasGrillo]

Also, there are no metalic, or magnetic objects in my hands. ;)

[DaPieguyProductions]

Is it hard to play? I hear some people saying it's one of the hardest instruments to play in the world.

[ThomasGrillo]

Theremins are considered the most difficult instrument in the world to play "well". This is because you don't touch it to play it. You also have to be mechanically stable to produce stable intonation over long notes. Just breathing can affect intonation. so can people walking through your field. You must balance properly, and have a good ear, as well as steady hands, and arms. You can't really move around much when playing the theremin. Unless it's for effects.

But, Then there's pipe organs.

[spazitude80]

bravo bravo encore encore bravo.

[drakeaengland]

daang nice vid i like tha star spangeld banner

[neeheh]

you have some awesome skills there

[KingBakura]

damn dude, that's just wild, where do you go?? your hands are moving, but your eyes are like...gone, well done though *salutes*

[13BrY]

wow !!

Where you can buy a themerin ? :O

[lilbambi01]

Awesome Thomas!

[sweetandspicy509]

how do those things work?

[ThomasGrillo]

Theremins create an electromagnetic field around the two antennas. Interacting with these fields causes changes in the electronics which contol tone generating oscilators, like in a synth, which produces the sound, which is routed out to an amp, or speaker. The tall antenna on the left of the screen controls pitch, and the smaller horizontal one controls volume.

[fametheory]

do you have any experience with building your own theremin?

[ThomasGrillo]

Yes, I've built the PAiA Theremax, Gaken, and Theremin Jr kits. ;)

[49nst]

How much does a Theremin cost?

[ThomasGrillo]

The Etherwave pro, seen here, cost $1400, but is nolonger produced. The Etherwave Standard is under $400 at moogmusic dot com. The Travel Case Theremin is under $800 at theremin dot ws. (Wavefront). The PAIA Theremax kit is $230 at PAIA dot com. The B3 theremin is $150 at soundslikeburns dot com.

[Number09]

Being a trumpet player for 6 years, my inner musicial is going "AH! Articulation, man!" but I understand that it IS the theremin and what it lacks in super-duper crisp articulation, it makes up for in amazing sound. Very pretty, and marches aren't usually described as "pretty."

Anyway, keep on posting these great videos. I'll continue to watch them again and again until I get my own theremin... Then I'll just watch them SOME MORE!! :-)

[ThomasGrillo]

Thanks for the compliments. As for articulation, this vid was posted a year ago, and I've learned a great deal more about articulation sinse then. My next videos should reflect these enhanced skills.

[mescotto]

does he ever blink?

[woodyinthemiddle]

A difficult piece of music for theremin,but you handled it well! You have very good intonation and control of your instrument. I noticed you "pinch" the volume antenna side like Pamelia Kursten does to get faster response to the notes. I liked the soaring finale! p.s. Tell that guy down below that your theremin was made in the USA by MOOG!!!

[snoopythegorila]

god bless, man, god bless. you arer an inspiration to us all.

[samicxi]

hum sorry if i say it looks silly. but it was very well done and sounded so cool. MAYBE NOT USED TO THESE THINGS,

[wolf5901]

this is so cheesy, but so much skill goes into this. I love how you just stare into space or are looking at sheet music but, your focus is so in key! Good Job!

[ihrtmusic12334]

I love your videos!

[naguma]

You, awesome sweet patriot, you!

Keep posting these great videos, Thomas!

I watch them, everyone!

teslatheremin

[dunger271]

You are a brilliant musician, I am truly impressed, thanks for the good music, and you are very knowledgeable, which is always a plus, keep up the good work and I will be watching..

[JoshuatheSamurai]

Anyone else think it Ironic he's playing Patriotic American songs an an instrument invented by a guy who built bugs for the soviets during the cold war? :P

[ThomasGrillo]

It should be noted that Leon theremin was forced against his will to produce in his words, "bad things" All he wanted to do was build musical instruments. Leon Theremin was kidnapped from his New York apartment, and taken by force back to Russia by the KGB.

[woodyinthemiddle]

If we went along with your line of thought,we should blame German Hohner Harmonicas for Hitler and Yamaha Guitars for Pearl Harbor...

[12345njf]

Great!!!

[XIPwnAllX]

Cool beat! Nice!

[lastwarrior1981]

great thanks for the awesome music

[ihrtmusic12334]

great

[RichardSwayne]

Army Navy Marines

[dups1822]

brilliant. its nice to see some good quality theremin music for our troops. keep up the good work!

[twinten]

Fantastic, but you dont seem to be enjoying yourself, and are quite stiff. It looks stressful to hold an exact position for a prolonged period of time.

[ThomasGrillo]

When playing the theremin, it's allmost impossible to show emotions without negatively impacting intonation. This one was also particualarly difficult to perform. You have to remain still, or nearly motionless to avoid intonation problems too. I am working on facial expression for future performances. ;)

[Number09]

Just out of curiosity, how hard is it to do fast runs on the theremin?

[ThomasGrillo]

Very hard to do fast runs. Check out theremin lesson one, in which I demonstrate a very fast run up a scale using a modified vibrato technique whild executing a glis (slide) toward the antenna. It's actually impractical to attempt stuff like Flight Of The Bumble Bee on a theremin. No octave trilling can be reasonably done like on a piano, or other instruments.

[BritsVsAmericans]

can we see you try to do flight of the bumblebee?

that would be amusing. XD

[ThomasGrillo]

Working on it!

[Number09]

YAY!

[exjrain]

Yeah that would be awesome!

[HarmonicMinorJ]

Amazing

Beautiful tone

[ctxcolormonitor]

wow awesome control

[madamerotten]

Quite well done, chap!