Hi everyone! I have several different things I'd like to mention and ask about:
The way that I play is I look at the music and think more in terms of whole steps and half steps rather than fingering. I know that if there is a half step then my fingers will need to more slightly vs. a whole step or even larger leaps where then I use my fingers more. I study with Charles Lester, who learned much from and was friends with Clara Rockmore, and he tells me that fingering techniques can cause problems with hands/arms/wrists, etc. So he says it is better to just use hands/wrists/fingers in a way that does not create tension because then your playing will also be tense. He uses very little fingering when he plays and suggests that I do the same to avoid problems that could in the future prevent me from playing or that will cause problems with my quality of sound.
Also, I never read about the zero beat till I was reading through some of these postings. Again Charles has taught me that depending on the range I want to have available to me, I will need to change my tuning (15 to 20 minutes after I turn on my Theremin to allow it to warm up). BUT no matter where I am (because the environment will always be different each time I play and even after a half hour of playing, room size, weather, MY mood and energy level, etc., and therefore effect how the Theremin should be played & tuned), to always have my lowest note be a "G" two octaves below "middle C." (In the position where you are standing with your arm up right next to you- hope this is clear enough, sorry if it's not).That way I also have at least 3-4 octaves available to me. This makes playing much easier for me since I know where my notes will generally be located from basically muscle memory.
The other thing is I don't use any kind of pitch preview. I just play quietly to find my "low G" and then from there I find my starting note of whatever song I am going to play. For some reason I feel like it's cheating or something to use a pitch preview. I do not want to offend anyone here when I say that by the way. Plus it seems like it would be intrusive when I'm playing and I'm listening to myself play, but then I guess I'm not listening to myself, I'm listening to the preview... I don't know. It's just how I feel. Never tried the either one of the two kinds of pitch preview so maybe that's why I feel this way.
My standing position will totally affect how I play. Pamelia and Charles both told me to find a position where I am comfortable and a position where I can be as still as possible. I’m still working on it and Charles says that it will take some time for my body to get conditioned, much like an athlete, and get used to the playing the Theremin in general. While I practice though if I do get tired from standing a certain way and must adjust to a new position I just tune again to find my “low G” and I’m good to continue playing with out having to fish for my notes (as opposed to when I didn’t know to tune my lowest to a “G” and I moved and had to randomly find my pitches all over again).
I’d love to go to the Etherfest everyone talks about and take master classes with Lydia Kavina (she was the person who recommended Charles Lester to me- very nice lady) and Pamelia (I’ve met and hung out with Pamelia but she never had time for a lesson, which is unfortunate but she’s so busy right now- did everyone know that her new album is coming out in like March of 2007 or some time near then? I’m so excited for her), and learn in person from peers. There seems to be many more players but we are all scattered so it’s hard to call someone up and say, “hey you wanna jam right now?” Totally sucks. I also will be looking for a person, or two to accompany me (piano and guitar) so I can play with out recorded music. I think will also make me a better player because then I can’t hide behind the recording- it’s all me. Anyway, I think I’m going to get the Line 6 loop ped
