The theremin is played without physical contact by moving the hands near two antennas.
Invented by Lev Termen, known in the West as Léon Theremin, the instrument uses changes in electrical fields to control pitch and volume. One hand moves near a vertical antenna for pitch, while the other works near a horizontal loop for loudness.
The theremin emerged in the early twentieth century and became one of the first electronic instruments to be produced commercially. Its unusual playing method gives it a distinctive sliding sound.
It is often confused with the ondes Martenot, another early electronic instrument, but the ondes Martenot normally uses a keyboard or a ribbon controller. The theremin’s defining feature is its touch-free antenna control.