Klezmer for Klarinettists

a Beginner’s Guide
– Michèle Gingras folk musicians of Eastern European origin,
and since the 1970s, it also has been used
A question I am asked often is: “How to describe the genres of music they
did a French Canadian end up playing, performed.
recording, and teaching Jewish music?” From 1881 to 1924, there was a wave of
About five years ago, a student of mine Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe
asked if I’d like to borrow her tape, The entering the New World. The people
Magic of Klezmer featuring clarinettist Giora naturally brought their music along and
Feidman. I thought to myself: “Klezmer performed for the Yiddish Theatre (New
music... I’ve read about it before...” But York City) and for all kinds of celebrations.
when I put the tape in the cassette player, In the ‘30s and ‘40s, their American-born
little did I know that after 20 seconds of sons and daughters became more interested
listening, I’d be running around the in “fitting in” the new world, and turned
hallways of Miami University wanting to to jazz and other musics rather than
share this wonderful music with my friends perpetuating the klezmer tradition. A few
and colleagues. generations later, their great-grandsons and
I spent the next year listening to daughters wanted to rediscover their roots
numerous recordings (vintage and con- and proudly re-engaged in playing their
temporary), consulting with clarinettists forefather’s music.
David Krakauer in New York and Ilene Since the ‘70s, there has been a klezmer
Stahl and Hankus Netsky in Boston, and revival movement sweeping the nation, and
attending various klezmer workshops in many new bands emerged. With today’s
Chicago and Canada, thanks to the “World Music” phenomenon, klezmer is
generous support of Miami University. in great demand and is more popular than
Later on, I joined a band, The Cincinnati ever. Itzhac Perlman and other great classical
Klezmer Project (led by Josh Moss), musicians helped in spreading its popularity
recorded three CDs, and I now spend each among classical audiences.
and every Saturday nights playing Bar Legendary clarinettists the Columbia label and went on to make
Mitzvah’s, Jewish community events, black Because klezmer music was essentially hundreds of recordings, not only of Jewish
tie affairs, fund raisers, and world music regarded as functional music in the first half music, but Russian, Polish, and Greek
festivals. As a classical musician, the of the 1900s, few performers stood out as music as well. He died on February 13th,
experience has been glorious and rewarding, individuals at that time, except perhaps 1989. Dave Tarras’ available recordings
and has allowed me to tap into new kinds clarinettists Dave Tarras and Naftule include: “Yiddish-American Klezmer Music
of performance venues which were Brandwein. The two became the most 1925-1956” (Yazoo Records 7001 CD/
previously unavailable to me. famous and respected klezmorim of the 20th MC); “Master Klezmer Music, Volume one
How did klezmer music start? century. Reissues of their vintage recordings and Volume two” (Global Village Music
Klezmer music is the traditional are now available on CD. Their style of CD 105 and CD 106)
instrumental celebratory music of the music became known as “Jewish dance Klezmer is Keyless
Yiddish-speaking Jewish people of Eastern music” during the post-war years. Klezmer is primarily a modal music
Europe, and dates back at least as far as 16th Dave Tarras produced numerous using chromatic or “Oriental” modes
century Central Europe. Klezmer was heard recordings, and his artistry and repertoire known under several names. These modes
in parts of Europe that are today’s Poland, were unique. Born near the Ukrainian city are similar to Eastern Ashkenazic liturgical
Ukraine, Byelorus, Lithuania, Latvia, of Uman, he was a descendent of several modes, as well as Turkish, Romanian,
Moldova, Romania, Slovakia, and Hungary. generations of hasidic klezmorim. When he Moldovian, and Ukrainian modes. In
The term klezmer is derived from the arrived in New York in 1921, his clarinet Yiddish music, the scales are called gustn.
Hebrew roots “kli-zemer” or “vessel of song”, was destroyed by fumigation at the hands As with the major and minor modes of
(consistent with an ancient Jewish belief of the Ellis Island authorities, and he went Western music, these modes can be built
that a musician is not really a creator of to work at first in the fur trade. Eventually on any scale degree as long as the
music, but a vessel through which music Tarras bought a new instrument and in relationships between whole and half tones
flows.) It refers to the professional Jewish 1925 he recorded his first clarinet solos for are retained.
 The most important gust is a freygish. It is characterised by the augmented second between the second and third degrees, as well as the
minor 7th chord serving the “dominant” function at the cadences or phrase endings. (See ex. 1) A full description of these modes can be
found in Joel Rubin’s wonderful book: Mazltov! – Jewish-American Wedding Music for Clarinet, published in 1998 by Schott (Catalog
number ED 8695.) The following examples, with the exception of the final Freylekhs, are from this book.

Another popular chromatic gust is the altered dorian or Ukrainian dorian.

Another scale includes a flatted second and fifth degrees, known as “minor” or yishtabach.

A gust using a “major” character is also referred to as mixolydian because of the flatted seventh degree. It is characterised by the
alternation between the flatted and natural seventh degree, as well as between the natural and raised fourth degree.

Sometimes several modes are combined within phrases. Each gust has several modal areas to which they typically “modulate”,
although actual modulation in the classical sense never takes place. These modes are not strict and almost always include flexible tones,
notes which are sometimes raised or lowered, depending on the contours of the melody.
How to start klezmering
As with jazz music, the key is to listen to expert musicians and try to assimilate the language slowly, but surely. Listening and imitating
(by ear) master klezmorim such as Tarras and Brandwein is the best way to grasp the traditional and “pure” approach to Yiddish music.
Listening to today’s players is not recommended at first, because these (great) players add their own voice to the traditional sounds,
therefore modifying the initial folkloric idea. After studying with a klezmer connoisseur and listening to vintage recordings, one can
then move on and listen to today’s klezmer stars such as David Krakauer (ex-Klezmatics, Klezmer Madness), Ilene Stahl (Conservatory
Klezmer Band-Boston), Kurt Byorling (Chicago), Joel Rubin (Brave Old World), Andy Statman, and others. Some traditional klezmer
artists describe Giora Feidman’s performing style overly ornamented or “popular”, but I just can’t help regarding him as a most expressive
and soulful klezmer-as a result, I listen to him regularly.
Forget Classical!
The most important thing to do when learning klezmer is to momentarily forget what was learned during classical training, and
begin experimenting with a looser embouchure, a flexible throat, and an idiomatic ornamentation style. Many musicians tend to think
that they will have to learn improvisation to play klezmer, but the fact is that traditional klezmer involves ornamentation rather than
improvisation. Florid ornamentation can be regarded as a kind of improvisation, but what matters most in klezmer is to maintain a
stable rhythm and keep the melody clear. After all, this is dance music and what dancers need most is a tune and a beat!
Let the dance begin
Accompanimental rhythms in klezmer are used according to each dance. Traditional Jewish dance is beautiful, noble and expressive
in character. It focuses on community (circle dances in a group), rather than one-on-one, person-facing-other-person dance style.
Examples of dance rhythms are:
Turkish (although the Jewish don’t seem to have developed any specific dance steps for this dance)

“Turkish” rhythmic accompaniment figure

 Khosidl

Hora

A doina is a florid showcase for the clarinettist. It is a highly structured improvisation, mostly non-metric. It is a piece intended for
listening rather than dancing. The soloist is accompanied by sustained or tremolo chords. The doina is often followed by a fast dance in
duple meter, such as the bulgar or the freylekhs.

The bulgar alternates “triplets” with syncopated phrases combining eighth and quarter notes. These “triplets” are neither triplets in
the classical sense, nor are they two sixteenths and an eight note, but lie somewhere between. Thus, the first two notes are somewhat
faster than the third note of each grouping. When reading written triplets in modern transcriptions, I tend to play two sixteenths and an
eight instead. Other dances include the Russian sher, Romanian sirba, Miserlou, Patsch Tanz and others.
Ornamentation
Klezmer compositions usually consist of simple melodies which are ornamented. These ornaments are known as dreydlekh, or
“turns”. It is the variety and seeming irregularity in ornamentation, phrasing and articulation that largely determines the quality of a
klezmer performance. Below is a description of the most common ornaments:
Trills and mordents
These are played very rapidly and steadily. Trills often begin on the top note, especially in a descending melody, or when the same note
is repeated in the melody.
Appoggiaturas
These are usually played AFTER a note and “swallowed” thereafter, being rhythmically attached to the preceding note.
Bent notes and glissandi-Clarinet soars and moans-Krechts
Krekhtsn (“moans”) is a general term for ornaments which imitate the sound of the break in the voice, common in Eastern
European synagogue chant, and hasidic and Yiddish folk song. The transition between certain intervals such as the ascending
minor or major second almost always includes the addition of a minor or major third in between. This note is “swallowed”, or
played as a “ghost” note.

There also can be portamentos from note to note, downward or upward glissandi during long notes, and “chirps” at the end of high
notes, especially when these are repeated. Chirps are played by tightening the throat and immediately letting go entirely of the embouchure
while rapidly lowering the tongue, as if saying: “eee-yakhh” or “yuck!” (I’m serious!)
Notation
There is no standard notation for klezmer music, as the melodies were handed down generations in the oral tradition. Ornamentation
is usually not notated and modern transcribed clarinet parts should be read an octave higher and transposed for the Bb clarinet if needed.
(Klezmer used to be played on C clarinet, although many modern players now opt for the Bb.)
As mentioned earlier, the best way to learn klezmer is by listening to vintage recordings and start learning by imitation. One must
understand the modes, as well as the typical cadential patterns (i.e. how to end a typical melody), and which tones are flexible in each
mode.
Since klezmer is essentially dance music, it is important not to play fast melodies too fast in order to maintain the dance’s elegance.
Pieces are usually begun either on the beat or with pick-up notes, and the ensemble often plays a vamp of rhythmic figures for two or
four bars before the melody begins. The typical klezmer ending is an ascending chromatic scale or glissando culminating in the
descending pattern of the tonic, dominant, tonic.
Playing your first freylekhs

*Ornaments by Michèle Gingras

Forming a band accompanying CD is: The Jewish Play Along Vol. 1 by Velvel
Although klezmer can be played on any instrument, the most Pasternak. Tracks are recorded with and without the solo voice,
traditional choices are clarinet, violin, trumpet, saxophone, and/ and the band is excellent.
or voice (for the melody or top part), accordion, piano, mandolin, Other online sources are: “A bisl yidishkayt”:
and/or guitar (for the harmony part, although the mandolin can http://www.yiddishmusic.com/ and Jewishsource.com:
also be considered a soloistic instrument), and drums and bass. http://www.jewishsource.com/
Other instruments such as flute or trombone may be added. My Klezmer CDs are easily found in good music stores and CD
experience is that a small ensemble tends to sound cleaner and websites which stock a wide variety of “world music” recordings,
clearer, so I usually prefer a three to five-member group. One such as EveryCD.com, and CDnow.com
example is: clarinet, mandolin, voice, piano and drums.
– Michèle Gingras is Professor of Clarinet at Miami University
Finding printed music and recordings
in Oxford, Ohio. Her latest klezmer CD, “Klezmer’s Greatest
The best source for Jewish music and books is Tara Publications Hits” (Mastersound 3591-Distributed by Intersound-Platinum
in the U.S. Their website catalog can be found at: Jewishmusic.com. Entertainment) can be ordered through any music store or
Phone (410) 654-0880, or tollfree from the U.S.: (800) TARA- internet CD website (see above), or by writing her directly:
400. They carry many books (complete with CDs) such as Klezmer [email protected]. A CD review, sound clip, and description
Plus! Folio by Peter Sokolow with essays by Henry Sapoznik and can be found on her website: http://miavx1.muohio.edu/
Shulamis Dion; The Compleat Klezmer by Henry Sapoznik; Mazel ~gingram/ The Cincinnati Klezmer Project site is http://
Tov! Music for a Jewish Wedding by Velvel Pasternak. Other books members.aol.com/klezme2/
include the Giora Feidman collection, the Kammen Dance and To hear “Klezmer’s Greatest Hits” on Tara’s website, visit:
Concert Folio #9, Peter Sokolow’s Guide to Klezmer Arranging and h t t p : / / j ew i s h m u s i c . c o m / c g i - b i n / S o f t C a r t . exe/
Orchestration, and others. A very fun book which comes with an kzckl10d.htm?L+jmcom+dxuf2381+937439438