Question for discussion:

[xiphias]

Which is better: the musical saw or the theremin? Has anyone ever done a duet? 'Cause, to me, they sound very similar. I'd be hard-pressed to tell them apart on a recording.

Comments

[horizonchaser.livejournal.com]

The theremin doesn't have teeth. Just an electric field to manipulate.

To me, the saw sounds a little more warbly and organic, the theremin sounds much cleaner and 'pure', but that's standing in the same room with them being played.

I wouldn't say one was better than the other, but they both have their strong points and drawbacks.

A theremin needs a power source and improperly grounded or built, can zap you. They can be difficult to find and heavy, though new versions are quite lightweight.

A saw can get rusty, has teeth, and may end up sawing something. I'm fairly sure you can buy 'tuned' saws, and imagine those would be expensive.

You can pay a lot or a little for both, they're both rather abstract to learn to play, and can both be portable. I suppose it'd depend - a bluegrass band, definitely a saw. An experimental jazz, definitely the theremin.

[xiphias.livejournal.com]

Do musical saws have teeth? I thought those saws designed as instruments didn't -- they're not REALLY saws.

[horizonchaser.livejournal.com]

I've seen some played with teeth, and some not. I'm guessing that the playable ones are normally toothless. We once had an old delta bluesman grab one of our old saws (rust and all!) to play with a drumstick, not a bow, as a percussion instrument. It was definitely interesting.

Oh - and saws almost never require schematic drawings. ;D You can get some good schematics for theramins online.

[icecreamempress.livejournal.com]

The musical saw player in my hometown (the late R. Dewey Bogart) played an actual saw. The ones made specifically as instruments don't have teeth, though.

[bill_sheehan.livejournal.com]

The musical saw. The theremin is almost impossible to play.

[icecreamempress.livejournal.com]

To quote Dr. Johnson, "Difficult, madam? Would that it were impossible!"

[felis-sidus.livejournal.com]

If by "better" you mean "less annoying to listen to", then I vote for the theremin.

[thnidu.livejournal.com]

Has anyone ever done a duet?

P.D.Q. Bach would, if anyone. Not that I know of, though.

The saw gives you multi-sensory feedback besides the actual sound, including back-pressure, position, and vibration. With the theremin, because you're not touching anything, you have only vision and proprioception to help you.

[autographedcat.livejournal.com]

You listened to Prairie Home Companion last night too, didn't you? :)

[xiphias.livejournal.com]

Well, yes, in fact, but I'd had the thought before.

[sproutntad.livejournal.com]

Is it kinda disturbing that when you said "the musical saw" I read it as "The Musical: Saw" and found it Very disturbing that someone made a musical out of a horror movie...

[kerrypolka.livejournal.com]

I have played theremin while my housemate played musical saw (she is in the Sawchestra). We were a bit drunk and just in our house's sitting room, but the saw seemed easier to control and take places -- she's played it loads of times with Actual Proper Bands and has always been able to do things to fit the shape of the songs. Theremin was just me sitting there going "WoooooooooowoWHOOOOOOO!" (although, again, that might have been the drunkenness.)

[micheinnz.livejournal.com]

Theremin! It's the only musical instrument that is played without touching it! How cool is that??