 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: studioline
Date: 2009-01-23 19:22
I would like to give myself a new venture with starting up a little Klezmer group. Anyone advice on what instrumentation I should opt for considering I'll be asking friends (who'll be professional musicians) to most probably do it for free to start with. Probably a small group too.
Also with regards to music, can I buy, I do I arrange? Not really sure how to go about it...
www.stuarteminson.com
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Author: pelo_ensortijado
Date: 2009-01-23 23:06
klezmer could be in any setting, but the basic is violin, clarinet, bass, and guitar or accordon. perhaps other string instruments. differ from region to region i guess.
its mostly an earbased tradition, and thats where the best pieces is found, not in some notes. so just listen. there is a lot of old stuff recorded.
best luck!! its a fun genre to play!!
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Author: Ralph Katz
Date: 2009-01-24 18:10
(This post would better fit in the Ethnic Clarinet board.)
It all depends on the players that are accessible. The basic group suggested by niclas is a good starting point. Tonal variety is a great asset, that will be limited to the instruments included
It could be just a clarinet and a guitar. This puts it all on the clarinet, at the expense of that variety, but coordinating rehearsals and gigs are a snap. I have played many gigs with a clarinet and a piano. A bass or guitar will take rhythmic pressure off the keyboard and enhance their ease of doing purely melodic solos. Other choices:
- mandolin or tenor banjo can add rhythmic stability.
- drum kit adds a lot, especially for dancing
- trumpet for tonal contrast and some extra volume
- tenor sax also can add color (can you double on tenor?)
- I love playing with a good fiddler, but rarely have one available
Every band I work with has their own home-made fake book. Some musicians sneer at this, saying you have to have the tunes memorized to play for dancing. This is up to you.
There are a number of books available, and their usefulness varies widely. Many are so heavily ornamented that they are hard to follow and impractical to use on gigs. I like these below. All are lead sheets for C instruments, except as noted.
"Compleat Klezmer" (Henry Sapoznik, Tara Publications: 1987) comes with or without a CD, and is a good, smallish starting repertoire of traditional tunes.
"Clarinetists Guide to Klezmer" (Tom Puwalski, self-published) is a good intro to the genre from the clarinetists point of view, but not a tune book.
"The Ultimate Klezmer" (ed. Joshua Horowitz, Tara Publications: 2001) is a re-editing of "International Hebrew Wedding Music" published by Nat Kostakowski in 1916. Lots of tunes, with chords.
"Kammen International Dance Folio's" Nos. 1 & 9 were a lot of peoples' starting off points. Has suggested harmonizations.
"From the Repertoire of German Goldenshteyn" (Living Traditions: 2006) has a 100 tunes which were initially unknown in north america. I believe there are Bb & C books available now.
Regards
Post Edited (2009-01-24 18:11)
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Author: pelo_ensortijado
Date: 2009-01-24 19:04
yes there are fakebooks who contains a lot of klezmer standards, but these are tunes played by everyone, and, allthough its good to know these tunes, its kind of booring to hear EVERY band play them. when attending a concert, its much more fu to listen to "new" fresh tunes.
its also much easier to find gigs when playing unknown exciting music.
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Author: Ralph Katz
Date: 2009-01-24 21:17
The original post didn't say whether this was for concerts, restaurants, weddings, bar/bat mitzvahs, or brises. Needs vary according to the venue - patrons at rites of passage usually want fairly general, traditional repertoire.
There is no easy way to find exotic tunes, except in general to travel to the exotic places these tunes are played, and hang out with local musicians.
Of course, there are always those bands who make up their own traditional pieces.
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Author: Tom Puwalski
Date: 2009-01-25 01:51
Niclas, I really liked your music on you facebook page. Where do you play and what language is your page in?
To answer the first post in this group, I think the only way of learning to play any kind of music is to listen to it. All day, everyday for a few weeks before you even start to play it. In my book, The Clarinetists Guide to Klezmer, I recommend that you get 2 klezmer CDs. One with Dave Tarras the other Naftule Brandwein listen to them until you can tell them apart. Then start trying to play along, transcribe. I find transcribing a great way to keep track of what you know. Once you've done your first, the second one is easier. But you have to listen. That's the biggest mistake I hear people make on any kind of music they play, they have no clue how the music goes. I'm a major fan of Giora Fiedman, and I know alot of the neuvo klezmorim are not. But he was my first transcription, I have every cut on Niggun of my People and Jewish soul music down in my file cabinet and in my head. Listen to lots of Andy Statman, I just love his soulful playing, he never over ornaments. It's alot easier now than it was 25 years ago to learn this stuff, you don't need to have a record player that has 78 rpm on it, and you can slow stuff down on your computer until you work the stuff out.
Tom Puwalski-Clarinetist with the Atonement and author of " The Clarinetists Guide to Klezmer" and coming soon "Clarinet Basic Training"
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Author: Dan Oberlin ★2017
Date: 2009-01-25 15:03
Tom,
Gary Van Cott is out of your book. Do you know when he might have more?
D.O.
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Author: Tom Puwalski
Date: 2009-01-25 15:21
I will be getting books out to Gary on Monday. I'm busy putting the finishing touches on my book, Clarinet Basic Training, and getting it ready for publication.
The next books are going to be klezmer tune books. They are arranged for Lead instrument and harmony in Bb, C, or Eb. and a 3rd part, as well as basic C lead sheets for those who, love the Kamen books. What's going to be interesting about my klez books is: The tunes that I'm putting in them are going to grouped by "Sets". Which means
Book 1 is a wedding ceremony book. Including pre wedding and Aisle walking music, ending with a few choice for "glass smashing" tunes.
Book 2. is reception and "dinner" music. Concert type music that's not as easily danceable. Some of my favorite tunes to play
Book. 3. This will be the Plugs-out, pedal to the metal, Simcha Hora set!
These are all on the computer and I'm working the layout on, I still don't like the look yet and I'll get back on those when Basic training is done.
Later Tom Puwalski
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Author: Ralph Katz
Date: 2009-01-27 00:37
Tom,
Pete Sokolow was selling similarly organized books of lead sheets at klezkamp the last time I was there. Most people unfortunately alphabetize their tunes, but grouping by style or function is a *very*practical* way to do things.
Regards
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Author: johnniegoldfish
Date: 2009-01-27 17:50
Mel Bay prints Easy Klezmer tunes and it is arranged for piano, clarinet, bass and flute and it is easy.
A bump up from that, also Mel Bay, is the Klezmer Book, 42 tunes from the Avrahm Galper Clarinet series.
A band out of NYC called Illuminescent Orchestrii puts a real different twist on gypsy/east european music and is a knockout live. Bring your dance shoes.
The New Orleans Klezmer jazz Band also bends from the originals and they can be listened to, partially at amazon
Good luck
Johnnie and the Unwashed Peasants
Post Edited (2009-01-27 18:33)
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