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From the articale ....With its sci-fi antennae bristling left and right, Russian physicist Leon Theremin’s novel invention of 1919 remains the only musical instrument you play without touching anything. “Aerial fingering” was the technique devised by the inventor’s original Lithuanian prodigy, Clara Rockmore, in the 1930s.

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Jarre plays a laser harp: https://youtu.be/nuM2Jw78u8Y


You could make the case that he has to "touch" (there's a physical interaction where his hand/glove blocks the light) the laser to trigger the note. I'm not even sure it would be that pedantic - there's a definite physicality to it that the theremin doesn't have.


Good point.

Many stringed instruments, the actual sound is made by whatever the strings are attached to, so there's a similar distance between touch and sound.

With percussion, it's quite direct, as with many wind instruments.


A 00's Roland with a D-Beam (or Two!) can be played without touching.




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