Playing Klezmer with a tinwhistle

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Jul 05, 2001 4:42 am

I know this topic has been around before etc. But I'm curious if anyone knows if there is sheetmusic on the net that I could check out that I don't have to start rewriting that are set in D or so on... 8-/
Not very good at understanding exactly how to transfer(or whatever the word is...) the notes and so on...

--Jukka

pixyy · Post by **pixyy** » Thu Jul 05, 2001 5:18 am

Hej Jukka,
I don't know of any places you can find sheet music for Klezmer music.
What I did was getting myself a Bb whistle (Generations are good and not expensive) and tried playing along with some of the tunes/songs I know.
The trick is that most solo parts in Klezmer are played on either clarinet or fiddle, and these creatures are not bothered by sharps/flats in any scale in a way the whistle does - so it does require some half holing here and there to get the tune. Also you need to use half-holing to accomplish the wonderful lilting slides on and off notes that is so characteristic to Jiddish folk music.

I managed to play along with 'Alle Brider' and some other solo parts which are not to virtuoso and fast.
Good luck
Jeroen

Ron Rowe · Post by **Ron Rowe** » Mon Jul 09, 2001 8:36 am

What exactly is Klezmer music?

talasiga · Post by **talasiga** » Sat Jun 23, 2007 9:20 pm

Ron Rowe wrote:What exactly is Klezmer music?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klezmer

I trust this link will be an informative introduction for you.

hathair_bláth · Post by **hathair_bláth** » Sat Jun 23, 2007 9:42 pm

I have to ask.....Mr Talasiga, are you bored?

Chiffed · Post by **Chiffed** » Sat Jun 23, 2007 10:38 pm

Holy doodle! I have enough trouble with klezmer on clarinet and flute. Doing it with an unkeyed whistle would be like swimming in a mink suit.

OTOH, Jubilee Musical Instruments will make you a whistle in a harmonic minor scale, good enough for some klezmer tunes. Haven't tried them but I hear they're loads of fun.

talasiga · Post by **talasiga** » Sun Jun 24, 2007 3:12 am

Chiffed wrote:......
OTOH, Jubilee Musical Instruments will make you a whistle in a harmonic minor scale, good enough for some klezmer tunes. Haven't tried them but I hear they're loads of fun.

Yes you will get two melodic modes for Klezmer on a harmonic minor tube

- the Hijaz mode (harmonic minor) and the Ahava Rabba mode from the harmonic minor's fifth note.

And you will get the Carnatic (South Indian) Hemavathi's mode from the harmonic minor's fourth note which is basically a Dorian BUT with an augmented fourth. I think I have heard this song type in some Eastern European musics also but I don't know wheteher Klezmer catches it.

Here is interval info:

Harmonic Minor (Hijaz Maqam or Raag Kirwaani's scale)
2:1:2:2:1:3:1

Ahava Rabba (Raag Basant Mukhari's scale)
1:3:1:2:1:2:2

Ragam Hemavathi's scale (Middle Eastern and Eastern Euro. name not known to me)
2:1:3:1:2:1:2

squirrel · Post by **squirrel** » Sun Jun 24, 2007 5:14 am

Chiffed wrote:OTOH, Jubilee Musical Instruments will make you a whistle in a harmonic minor scale, good enough for some klezmer tunes. Haven't tried them but I hear they're loads of fun.

Here there is a video of the Ahava Rabba whistle made by David Bingamon. Very funny instrument!

koktach · Post by **koktach** » Sun Jun 24, 2007 5:29 am

Where do I get one of those?

squirrel · Post by **squirrel** » Sun Jun 24, 2007 5:49 am

koktach wrote:Where do I get one of those?

http://www.tinwhistles.us/jubilee/whisethnic.htm

koktach · Post by **koktach** » Sun Jun 24, 2007 5:58 am

hm... better still does anyone have aproximate measurements for this whistle, so I could make one myself.

brewerpaul · Post by **brewerpaul** » Sun Jun 24, 2007 7:52 am

koktach wrote:hm... better still does anyone have aproximate measurements for this whistle, so I could make one myself.

I have one of those whistles, and it's really fun. I love to play Celtic tunes on it and hear how they come out: instant Klez!

Somewhere on his site, I think Dan has a tonehole calculator that you can use to plot the size and position of holes in all keys and modes.

FJohnSharp · Post by **FJohnSharp** » Sun Jun 24, 2007 8:49 am

Anonymous wrote:I know this topic has been around before etc. But I'm curious if anyone knows if there is sheetmusic on the net that I could check out that I don't have to start rewriting that are set in D or so on... 8-/
Not very good at understanding exactly how to transfer(or whatever the word is...) the notes and so on...

--Jukka

There is a tune with two names: Itzikel, and Frailach, that is klezmer based but is played by many Irish musicians. Kevin Burke plays it on his solo album and Lunasa plays it on their debut album. You can find the music on thesession.org.

FJohnSharp · Post by **FJohnSharp** » Sun Jun 24, 2007 8:50 am

Oh, and you can play it on a D whistle with only 2 fairly easy half holes.

Chiffed · Post by **Chiffed** » Sun Jun 24, 2007 9:04 am

koktach wrote:hm... better still does anyone have aproximate measurements for this whistle, so I could make one myself.

Using TWCALC (from the Jubilee site previously mentionned), talasiga's scales, some chunks of copper plumbing pipe, and a Sweetone head, you're on your way!

For a quiet and very funky whistle for oros, try an A length tube with holes for this scale:
A Bb C# D E F G
The stretch for the augmented Bb-C# is a bit long, but doable.

I'll see what I can do for measurements if I have time.