Klarinet Archive - Posting 000195.txt from 2002/12

From: "Lloyd, David - Business Directorate,Trading Standards" <David.Lloyd@-----.uk>
Subj: RE: [kl] Hungarian Minor (was Benefit of . . .)
Date: Mon, 9 Dec 2002 05:30:24 -0500

> So I guess I'm confused about what you mean by "I've been playing klezmer
> music for years without knowing it."

Maybe not klezmer music, but stuff that sounds quite like it.

Some years ago, while studying music theory on the guitar, I came across the
hungarian minor scale. I analysed the available harmonies (in a somewhat
naive way) and found that the Im, V, bVI and VIIm chords sounded quite nice
together (in C harmonic minor they would be Cm, G, Ab and Bm). They worked
particularly well with the root note played on the beat and chordal stabs on
the off-beat, resolving to the V chord. It's really easy to come up with
melodies over the top of that and I would play around with a four track
recorder, a guitar, a bass guitar and clarinet, coming up with tunes that
sound surprisingly like Klezmer music.

I hope that I haven't offended any Klezmer afficionados!

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