Playing Technique
The ondes Martenot is unique among electronic musical instruments in its methods of control. Maurice Martenot was a cellist, and it was his vision to bring the degree of musical expressivity associated with the cello to his new instrument. The ondes, in its later forms, can be controlled either by depressing keys on the six-octave keyboard (au clavier), or by sliding a metal ring worn on the right-hand index finger in front of the keyboard (au ruban). The position of the ring corresponds in pitch to the horizontal location along the keyboard. The latter playing method allows for unbroken, sweeping glissandi to be produced in much the same manner as a Theremin. The keyboard itself has a lateral range of movement of several millimeters, permitting vibrato of nearly a semitone below or above the pitch of the depressed key to be produced.
By depressing keys or moving the ring, no sound is initially produced. A control operated by the left hand and situated in a small drawer of controls (tiroir) on the left side of the instrument controls the musical dynamics, from silence to fortissimo. This control (touche d’intensité) is glass and lozenge-shaped, and can be depressed several centimetres. The depth to which this key is depressed determines the dynamic level: the deeper, the louder. The manner in which it is pressed determines the attack of the note: quick taps produce staccato articulations, whilst more controlled and deliberate depressions are used to play legato.
The small drawer of controls also contains flip-switches to control the instrument's timbre. These function in much the same way as a pipe organ's stops can be added or removed. Like organ stops, each switch has its own sound color which can be added to the chorus of other timbres. The 1975-model instrument features the following timbres:
| Onde (O) | A simple sine wave timbre. Similar in sound to the flute or ocarina. |
| Creux (C) | A peak-limited triangle wave. Similar in sound to a clarinet in high registers. |
| Gambe (G) | A timbre somewhat resembling a square wave. Intended to be similar in sound to string instruments, as the French title would suggest. |
| Petit gambe (g) | A similar but less harmonically-rich timbre than Gambe. The player can control the number of harmonics present in the signal by using a slider situated in the control drawer. |
| Nasillard (N) | A timbre resembling a pulse wave. Similar in sound to a bassoon in low registers. |
| Octaviant (8) | A timbre with a reinforced first harmonic whose intensity in the signal can be controlled by using a slider. This setting is analogous to the 4 foot stop in organ terminology. |
| Souffle (S) | A timbre often described as white noise, but in fact pink noise of indefinite pitch. |
In addition to the timbral controls, the control drawer also contains flip switches which determine to which loudspeakers (diffuseurs) the instrument's output are routed. These are labeled D1 to D4.
| D1 Principal |
A traditional, large loudspeaker. |
| D2 Résonance |
A loudspeaker which uses springs to produce a mechanical reverb effect. |
| D3 Métallique |
A small gong is used as the loudspeaker diaphragm to produce a 'halo' effect rich in harmonics. |
| D4 Palme |
An iconically lyre-shaped loudspeaker, using strings to produce sympathetic resonances. |
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