LEFT OR RIGHT HANDED MODEL???

HOW DO I KNOW WHETHER BUY A LEFT OR RIGHT HANDED MODEL?

I HAVE PLAYED VIOLIN THE STANDARD RIGHT-HANDED IN THE PAST....

THANKS SOOO MUCH FOR ANY ADVISE!!

WHEN I SAW THAT THERE WAS A CHOICE, IT WAS LIKE THE CHOICE BETWEEN A LEFT OR RIGHT HANDED SPACE SHUTTLE - IN MY MIND!! ;-)

Welcome to Theremin World musicman!

This sounded very familiar so I used the
[b]search[/b] here,
set to thereminworld only
and found an existing thread on this.
Hope it helps.

Let us know what theremin you end up getting!

Topic: Play theremin left-hand or right-hand
http://www.thereminworld.com/forum.asp?cmd=p&T=2210&F=1

Hi DM, and welcome to Theremin World.

I suggest you use your dominant hand for playing pitch, as it requires more fine motor control.

So if you're right handed, you want a right handed theremin.

Ahhh, I'm a true lefty - maybe? THANKS! Left hand pitch control - gotcha!

Well: Kick lefty. Play pool lefty. Native American flute lefty. Write/eat lefty. Throw/bat righty. But musical instruments: Righty - most of the time.....;-)

That's why this one is tricky. BUT , intuition tells me, that as with violin family instruments; you better be precise with BOTH.

Here's a test: scissor your index and middle fingers together on each hand, like Hummingbird wings, as fast as you can. The hand that is slower is less precise - right? Same with snaping your fingers.

Something tells me this instrument is even cooler, and more intense w/ more (limitless) options than bowed string instruments??

Neat.

Thanks folks!

ok, pardon me but I can't pass up the setup.
if you haven't played the theremin yet
you only have a small idea how cool and intense
it can be.
but it is not impossible
and honestly, in the end,
it's not the hardest thing
on Earth to play.

Musicman:

Right in the middle of my office, I'm sitting here scissoring my fingers and snapping to see just how fast I can go with both.

People are staring...

OK, here's a test for you - imagine playing darts whilst patting a penguin on the head. If your aim is to play melodically, playing precise and repeatable pitches comes higher on the list than precise and repeatable volumes.

Of course, if you find yourself with a wrong-handed theremin, there is the simple expedient of standing on the other side of it. It would mean standing with your back to the audience, but it would work.

yeah, if you're doing the precision playing thing the pitch hand is imperative, but you cannot make music happen without the volume hand.
to me, once i've worked out both,
it depends who needs my attention at any given moment.
if you're really in doubt and can't try one out, just to make life easier go with your dormant hand plays pitch rule of thumb.
but yes you are right a penguin helps.

Unless the penguin has very sharp teeth, in which case, you had better make sure you are petting that penguin exactly as it pleases.

So strange that you do darn near everything with your left, but not so with instruments... Have you always been right-dominant with musical instruments, or was it more of a learned thing? In other words, did you start playing with your right hand, or were you forced to due to nonavailability of left-handed instruments?

The viola d' gamba isn't the hardest thing in the world to play - IF you play 16th century music. If you play, OR WANT TO PLAY, like Paolo Pandolfo w/ jazzed-up St.Colombe music or bowed Flamenco: Drink lots of water, make sure your in athletic condition, and have thirty five years experience with both Spanish guitar and cello.

So, if you're satisfied with watery-sounding versions of Summertime, then correct - it's an easy instrument to play.

Yea, probably because most instruments are right-handed, and so are the teachers......

;-)