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Super Mario Bros. Theme on a Theremin watch!

laughingsquid.com — Here ’s a video of Randy George playing the Super Mario Bros. theme (NES version) on a Theremin. Randy is currently recording a classical Theremin album.

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  • mikec00l, on 08/09/2008, -2/+10Wow.
  • Ansem, on 08/09/2008, -0/+11It's actually not that difficult to get used to using one of those.
    • damnthatsweird, on 08/09/2008, -0/+10I can imagine it would be difficult to get pitch perfect notes though, seeing as how there are no set positions in the 3-d space to produce specific notes.
      • Ansem, on 08/09/2008, -0/+11Well yeah I know what you mean. I played the violin for about 10 years and people would always ask how I knew where to put my fingers for the correct notes when there were not frets like on a guitar.
        But I mean it didn't take me those ten years to be able to do that. It's just something you get used to as you do it.
      • Lewie, on 08/09/2008, -0/+1I play guitar (well, it's been a while), and my friend had a violin. Once she showed me where the notes were, it was actually pretty easy to pick up. I think muscle memory helped a lot, and I can see a theremin being similar.
      • kawaiirobo, on 08/09/2008, -0/+1well, you have to remember that on a violin the pitch is on a one dimensional plane, theremin's are played on a 3 dimensional plane. Granted it's not really hard to learn how to use one, it is more difficult to play pitch perfect, at least it is for me in comparison to a fretless bass. The pitch is only on one axis, but unlike a violin, viola, or any other fretless stringed instrument, you don't have a touchable guide as to where exactly that pitch axis is. All that being said, everyone who loves experimental music and electronics should build a Theremin, they are extremely fun, if just for screwing around.
  • mearom, on 08/09/2008, -1/+3I thought it was going to scare unsuspecting people by playing it very loudly.

    Be awesome right outside a bar in an alley
  • intro211, on 08/09/2008, -1/+10never heard of a Theremin before so i had to wikipedit : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theremin
    • , on 08/09/2008, -0/+0Everyone who learned about the Theremin from that one episode of "I Am Weasel" raise your hand!

      *raises hand*
    • shadowcode, on 08/09/2008, -1/+1Me neither, didn't know such a thing existed. Pretty nifty. Pretty old, too, 1919.
  • Frogee, on 08/09/2008, -0/+8That was cute I guess, I don't know how else to describe it. Maybe a bit annoying at times, but at least I learned what a Theremin was because of this guy ^^^
  • VivaCalligula, on 08/09/2008, -0/+19Sounds like an adult choir from Charlie Brown.
  • CATSCEO2, on 08/09/2008, -0/+11I want one. These would be great to annoy people.
  • Fiskepinne, on 08/09/2008, -0/+25Theremin is for cats...

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ONJfp95yoE
  • malademental, on 08/09/2008, -1/+1It's awesome, and very nice to hear ^^
  • roskelld, on 08/09/2008, -0/+1That sounds really really impressive.
  • Elliottx, on 08/09/2008, -4/+1It's a trick. He's really humming it.
  • sock2828, on 08/09/2008, -0/+29This one is better and by the same guy

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mW0B1sipLBI
    • Tishiablo, on 08/09/2008, -0/+7Wow, it sounds as if it's Gnarls Barkley actually just humming the tune..
  • Twice, on 08/09/2008, -5/+1This is one of those videos that really made me cry of laughing. Best ever!! :D
  • cloudberries, on 08/09/2008, -0/+3That's pretty neat. But is there anything the Super Mario theme hasn't been played on? Seriously.

    Bagpipes?
  • Nicoon, on 08/09/2008, -1/+2gotta love them theremins.
    Anyway, for anyone that's interested, here's the Gnarls Barkeley Crazy theremin jam: http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=mW0B1sipLBI
  • powerphail, on 08/09/2008, -0/+1That is awesome. Pure awesome. Also, how do these things work? I've never seen nor heard of a theramin before this video.
    • kawaiirobo, on 08/09/2008, -0/+3they're not that big anymore, but are making a come back with experimental musicians, several tracks on Radiohead's amnesiac and Kid A have a theremin in them, but they are mostly known for sound effects, specifically the UFO sounds from old Ed Wood movies. As for how they are played, they use two antenna that detect where the hands are in 3d space to control two RF oscillators one that controls frequency and one that controls volume. They are really fun to use, if not just for screwing around, and can be built for around $150. Hope that answers your questions!
  • blacktaco, on 08/09/2008, -14/+1I never knew what a Theremin was either. I checked wikipedia and apparently it's a really stupid device for making god-awful noises. Basically an electric kazoo.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1WL2W-057w
  • Keithamus, on 08/09/2008, -2/+1Bill Bailey, one of the funniest current British stand up comics, and a very talented musician, has, and plays a theramin as part of his act.

    People should check out his work, its hilarious and deranged.

    http://www.billbailey.co.uk/
  • kpd5gd, on 08/09/2008, -2/+1Eh that was pretty cool, but it would've been a lot less so had the original theme not been playing in the background as well.
  • Eslamicolt3, on 08/09/2008, -0/+1"Not unless you can open your mind and learn to play the *****' theremin."
  • irishjays, on 08/09/2008, -0/+3That was pretty good, Thank you Randy, but the princess is in another castle...
  • IIDXBoss, on 08/09/2008, -0/+1Theramin is a really neat instrument. In case anyone is wondering, the stick that his right hand is 'manipulating' controls the pitch. Put your hand closer and the pitch goes up, put your hand further and the pitch drops.

    The rounded metal stick on his left hand is the velocity control. Moving your hand further from it increases the volume and moving it closer quiets the instrument. It appears as though this guy might have it set to an off-on style for this song, since you don't really hear the volume change.

    It actually is pretty difficult to play well. My brother has one of these and I found it quite difficult to get the pitches right when you have no reference points. My brother has perfect pitch, however, and was able to play it a lot better than me right away. It takes a very good ear and a really careful touch to play it well.
  • ronyu02, on 08/09/2008, -0/+1Ever since I heard of this wonderful instrument last year, I was sincerely hoping it would come out for the Wii.

    (Come on, homebrew people!)
  • Gorshun, on 08/09/2008, -0/+4Now, all I need is a theremin version of "Still Alive", then i'll be satified for the rest of my life.
  • PeckerSlap, on 08/09/2008, -1/+1stop making ***** noises
  • DirtySanch, on 08/10/2008, -0/+2Jimi Page played one in the song remains the same DVD
  • goodolboykt, on 08/10/2008, -0/+1Wow, first time I even heard or seen one of them. Now I want one
  • gamben0, on 08/10/2008, -0/+1He played it well, but that instrument sounds like ass.
  • DefaultGen, on 08/10/2008, -0/+2What a horribly annoying sounding instrument. Without the NES theme playing over it, it would just sound awful.
  • bstockwell, on 08/10/2008, -0/+2Why does he need donations to record ***** covers of songs?
  • vortz83, on 08/10/2008, -0/+2More entertaining than Nintendo's E3 Wii Music "performance".
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