Greetings Thereminworld!!

Hello guys, my username is Trymeinchess I’ve been a there-manic for the last two years, and have been lurking on this website for a little while.

I was first introduced to the theremin from a video of Peter Pringle playing somewhere over the rainbow, as a music lover and someone who loves obscure things I was instantly hooked. 

I play cello, piano, ocarina, and have started drums and guitar so I’m confident in my ability to learn this difficult instrument, and I’m not afraid to go do research.

My favorite thereminist is Charlie Draper, but I appreciate Clara rock more and Carolina eyuck as well.

Currently, I own a theremini, as it was gifted to me but if I can find a way to sell it, I would buy a burns b3 deluxe.

My dilemma is that my parents don’t want me to get another theremin because I won’t practice the theremini, but I dislike the sound and don’t want to teach myself bad muscle memory. Additionally, I don’t want to offend them by getting rid of this instrument they so gracefully gave to me.

Anyway, (sorry for the rant) hello theremin world and I’m excited to geek out about this awesome instrument with you guys

Trymeinchess,

how about compromise: if you were handy with electronics, you could tear out the Theremini’s internals and jam the circuitry from a Bourns into that enclosure. Better yet, use the D-Lev set.

That sounds like a great idea, although I’m not handy at electronics, I have tried when I was younger but they’re tricky. (I do have an iron and a multimeter though from previous attempts) and I’ve been interested in learning for a while now. Thanks for the idea.

ILYA, how would you recommend getting started in learning electronics? I can’t code at all. (But again, want to learn)

"... how would you recommend getting started in learning electronics?"   - Trymeinchesss

Reading construction articles can immerse you slowly, this was my initial approach to EE as a tween.  After a while less and less goes over your head, but for me it took formal schooling to really learn to design linear circuits with transistors.

The Art of Electronics is a good starting point.  Many college level physics courses use this, and it's quite readable.

The ARRL Handbook for Radio Communications is obviously more radio-centric, but that can be a good thing as coils and capacitors are Theremin bread and butter.  Pretty easy read too.

For audio, anything by Douglas Self is quite informative - and entertaining!

And nothing like hands-on experience, so get yourself a breadboard and some component assortments and go to town.  

LTSpice is a good free simulator, going between simulation and the real circuit can give you a deeper understanding.

Get a decent DMM.  For Theremin work an oscilloscope is pretty necessary, you're otherwise flying blind.  Luckily, most test equipment is fairly inexpensive these days.

Hi Trymeinchesss, welcome to the TW forums.
 
You don't need to be afraid of learning 'wrong muscle memory' from practicing with the Theremini. It is pretty okay to start on, as long as, being a beginner, you play slow and relatively easy melodies, practice through scales and intervals, try playing along with music you know well. Every type and model of theremin has its own characteristics (range and linearity of the fields) and quirks, and learning to adapt to that is actually a good thing, I feel.
With the Theremini editor you can try to make some of your own presets that sound acceptable, and set all the presets to have the note quantization turned off. I'ld just start practicing and have fun with what you have right now, while looking for something better to upgrade to.
You might want to check out Kip Rosser's Theremini tutorial series on YouTube to get the best out of a Theremini.
It's included in this playlist: Theremini Tutorials playlist

Try to find the preset you are most comfortable with and turn the note quantization off. Try to not constantly look at the tuner display, but it can be useful after playing a melody unaccompanied, without a reference tone, once or repeatedly, to check once in a while, or toward the end of playing, whether and how much your pitch might have drifted (usually upward, this happens to a-capella singers as well, and it actually has to do with the mathematics of music).

How to get started with electronics: learn how to read electronic schematic diagrams, learn what different electronic components are and do, learn how to solder, start with doing some easy electronic project(s), maybe in form of a kit, or get a 'breadboard' to get started building small circuits without soldering, that you can just as easily disassemble again.

Perhaps playing around with software that can simulate electronic circuits would also be a way to learn about electronics.
There are some schematics and building plans for simple theremins here on the Theremin World site and forums.