Admit I
Moog Theremini
Beginners who want pitch correction built in
| Presets | 32 |
|---|---|
| Pitch | Assistive correction, built-in tuner |
| Outputs | Headphone, stereo line, pitch CV |
| Connection | Mini USB, editor software |
4.5/5 on Amazon from 600 ratings
See it on Amazon
Hands off, please
Theremin:playing withouttouching
The theremin is played by moving a hand near an antenna, and it has been sounding eerie since around 1920. We compare a Moog, a pocket mini, a Stylophone model that is not strictly one, and two kits you build yourself.
By Rhys Entwistle, updated 4 November 2026
Act I
How a theremin works
Leon Theremin devised the instrument around 1920, and it is still the only common instrument played without touching it. A vertical antenna sets the pitch, and a loop sets the volume, and both react to a hand moving nearby.
Bring a hand closer to the pitch antenna and the note rises. Bring the other hand towards the loop and the sound fades. Nothing marks where a note is, so the player finds each one by ear, in thin air.
| Part | What it controls | Hand closer means |
|---|---|---|
| Vertical antenna | Pitch | A higher note |
| Loop | Volume | A quieter sound |
Why a theremin glides
There are no steps between notes, so a theremin slides smoothly from one pitch to the next, and a player has to stop on the right one deliberately. That glide is the wobbling sound behind every old science-fiction film.
Not on Good Vibrations
People often credit the Beach Boys with a theremin on Good Vibrations.
The sound came from an Electro-Theremin, a different instrument with a different way of being controlled. Keep that correction handy for the next pub quiz.
Your first note
- Switch on and let the instrument settle.
- Start with the pitch hand well away from the antenna.
- Move it slowly closer until a note sounds, then stop.
- Hold still, listen, and move a little either way to hear the pitch change.
Which songs use the real thing
Jimmy Page played one on Led Zeppelin’s Whole Lotta Love, and the Midsomer Murders theme, which most British households can hum, features one too. The result sounds unsettling and cheerful in the same evening.
Act II
Choosing a theremin you can play today
Three models below are ready to play, and they differ in what they ask of you. The Moog corrects your pitch, the mini is pocket-sized, and the Stylophone model is a cousin rather than a true theremin.
Admit II
SPORTARC mini theremin with screen
Players who want a pocket theremin with a display
| Voices | 70, claimed |
|---|---|
| Display | Colour screen with waveform |
| Power | USB Type-C |
| Sound | Built-in speakers, pluggable antennas |
4.4/5 on Amazon from 7 ratings
See it on Amazon
Admit III
Stylophone Theremin touch synth
Players who want drones and trigger notes by touch
| Modes | Drone or trigger notes |
|---|---|
| Effects | Vibrato and delay |
| Sound | Built-in speaker |
| Output | Headphones and other gear |
4.4/5 on Amazon from 112 ratings
See it on AmazonMoog and Theremini are marks of their owner. We name the product to identify it, and this site has no connection with the maker.
The Moog Theremini
The Theremini has assistive pitch correction, a built-in tuner with an LCD that shows each note, and 32 presets built on waves or wavetables. It also has a built-in speaker, a headphone jack, stereo line level outs, a pitch CV out, mini USB and a software editor, which reaches the advanced settings and arranges the presets.
The mini theremin with a screen
This pocket mini has a colour screen for the waveform and a claimed 70 voices, over 20 of them traditional Chinese instruments. It has built-in speakers, pluggable antennas and USB Type-C power, so it fits a coat pocket. The screen also shows volume and a pitch indicator, so you can see exactly where your hand has wandered.
The Stylophone Theremin
The listing describes a touch-sensitive synthesizer with a drone or trigger mode, vibrato and delay, a built-in speaker and a headphone connection. It is a good instrument and an honest cousin, though the touching makes it a Stylophone first, as the Stylophone page explains.
Act III
Build your own theremin from a kit
A theremin kit teaches you how the antenna works by making you assemble it, which is satisfying and slightly smug. Both kits below are scarce on Amazon, so check they exist before promising one to anybody.
Admit I
Whadda Madlab Junior Theremin kit
Tinkerers who like to build a small theremin
| Type | Electronic kit |
|---|---|
| Power | 9 V battery, not included |
| Size | 50 × 50 × 12 mm |
| Aerial | Wire |
3.9/5 on Amazon from 135 ratings
See it on Amazon
Admit II
Franzis Magic Sounds Theremin kit
Builders who like a no-solder festive project
| Type | Plug-in kit, no soldering |
|---|---|
| Contents | Components behind 24 doors |
| Case | Wooden, Christmas design |
| Extra | Built-in Christmas melody |
4.3/5 on Amazon from 16 ratings
See it on Amazon- Whadda Madlab Junior Theremin: a small kit with a wire aerial that changes pitch as your hand moves towards and away from it, powered by a 9 V battery that is not included.
- Franzis Magic Sounds Theremin: a plug-in kit with no soldering, a Christmas tree antenna and a wooden case, delivered behind 24 doors.
The Franzis kit is festive by design, with a Christmas melody built in, so expect it to be a seasonal project.
What the kits teach
The Franzis listing promises experiments with capacitors, resistors, circuits and speakers, and the Whadda listing calls the theremin the first music synthesizer. Either way, you finish with a working instrument and a clearer idea of why your hand changes the note.
Act IV
What to plug a theremin into
A theremin is only as useful as the places its sound can go, and the models here differ more in sockets than in antennas.
- The Moog offers a headphone jack, stereo line level outs, a pitch CV out and mini USB.
- The pocket mini has built-in speakers and takes headphones or other audio equipment.
- The Stylophone Theremin lets you connect wired headphones and other equipment at the same time.
- The two kits sound through whatever you build into them, so check the instructions.
Act V
Setting up the room before you play
Any player will tell you that the instrument reacts to its surroundings as well as to the hands. A few habits keep it behaving, whichever model you own.
- Leave a clear space around the antennas, away from metal furniture and walls.
- Stand where you will stand every time, because moving about changes the note.
- Ask spectators to stay back, since they count too.
- Switch on and let the instrument settle before you start tuning it by ear.
Act VI
Is a theremin difficult to play?
A theremin is difficult in a way that keyboards are not, because there is no surface to find. Everything depends on a steady hand and a good ear, and both improve with practice.
- Start with one held note and learn to keep it steady.
- Keep your elbow still and let only the hand move.
- Use the Moog’s pitch correction while your ear catches up.
- Move on to the volume hand last, when the pitch hand behaves.
Pitch correction, in plain English
The Theremini lets each player choose how much help the instrument gives with pitch, and its tuner uses the screen to show how close each note lands. It is training wheels you can set to taste, and they come off gradually.
Which theremin suits whom
- Beginners who want help staying in tune: the Moog Theremini.
- Anyone who wants a theremin for the coat pocket: the pocket mini.
- Anyone who prefers touching things: the Stylophone Theremin.
- Tinkerers who like to know what is inside: either kit.
If hands-free playing sounds like too much, the otamatone also has no frets, but you may at least touch it, and the Omnichord will do the chords for you.
Encore
Theremin questions, asked from a safe distance
- How does a theremin work?
Two antennas sense your hands without contact. The nearer your hand is to the pitch antenna, the higher the note, and the nearer the other hand is to the volume loop, the quieter it gets.
- Do you touch a theremin at all?
No. The instrument is played in the air, which is the whole point and also the whole difficulty, since there is nothing to tell your hand where a note lives.
- What famous song uses a theremin?
Jimmy Page played one on Led Zeppelin’s Whole Lotta Love, and the Midsomer Murders theme leans on one for its wavering lead. Good Vibrations does not, whatever the pub quiz says.
- Is a theremin difficult to play?
Yes, at first. The pitch has to be found by ear, with a hand floating in the air. The Moog’s pitch correction takes the edge off that, which is why it suits a first attempt.
- Is the Stylophone Theremin a real theremin?
Not strictly. The listing describes a touch-sensitive synthesizer, so you play it by touch, which rules out the part where nothing is touched.
- Can a theremin go through an amplifier?
Some can. The Theremini has stereo line level outputs, a pitch CV output and a headphone jack, and the pocket mini listing mentions a built-in speaker and a headphone connection.