# Music by Genre > Jazz/Blues Variants, Bossa, Choro, Klezmer >  What are some easy klezmer tunes?

## Mandolin-wolf

I already know Hava Nagila, but that's about it. What are some easy klezmer tunes for someone whose only been playing 5 months? And, sorry, I meant "easy" in the topic.

_I fixed the title for you. -JEStanek_

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## Elliot Luber

Do a search, there was a Website posted once with a ton of Klezmer songs listed with the music. I'd post it but I don't have a lot of luck with the Cafe's search function.

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## JEStanek

Mandozine has these.  You'll need the free TablEdit Viewer software to see them.  I can play some intermediate stuff by dropping some of the notes.... or leap in and go slowly! I do that too.

Jamie

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## Jim Abrams

The best source that I know of is "Easy Klezmer Tunes:  Classic Tunes from Eastern Europe Arranged for Beginners on All Instruments" by Stacy Phillips and published by Mel Bay in 2003.  The book's contents are grouped into three sections: (1) Khosid'ls and Other Slowish Tunes--6 tunes; (2) Horas--4 tunes; and (3) Freylakhs, Bulgars and Other Up-Tempo Tunes--14 tunes.  Each tune is transcribed for C instruments (one each for violin and flute), and for Bb, Eb, and Bass instruments.  It comes with a CD played by a top notch Klezmer band so you can hear an authentic setting for all of the tunes.  

Another excellent source is "The Absolutely Complete Klezmer Songbook" ed. by Klezmer scholar and violinist Yale Strom.  This is a 420 page book containing several hundred Klezmer tunes, many of which are fairly easy to play.  Two CD's have been recorded that highlight some of the tunes in the book.  The group on the CD's is Strom's band Hot Pstromi.  The edition I have was published by Transcontinental Music Publications in 2006.

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flagstaffcharlie, 

Mandolin-wolf

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## Bill Stokes

Here are a gazillion tunes: sheet music, midi audio, it's a treasure trove.  All of the ones I've used have been easy.
The music links are over on the right side of the page, under the word Index.  http://www.schoellerfamily.org/scores/

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flagstaffcharlie, 

Mandobart

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## Mandolin-wolf

Thanks Bill! I'll have to look through these! Which tunes would you recommend?

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## Bill Stokes

Any songs that are familiar; that you've heard a lot.  Most people know "Bei Mir Bis Du Schon" (aka Buy me a beer, Mr. Shane.)

Not sure how much Klezmer you listen to.  I'm not even Jewish, but a lot of the Freylechs sounded familiar to me.
I think it helps on a new instrument if you have the tune in your ear already.

I would have sworn that "Yossel Yossel" was in there, but I see it's not.

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## Mandolin-wolf

Well, I've heard the Odessa Bulgar several times, and I really like the tune "Miserlou"......

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## Ronny

From Mandozine, "Zemer Atik" and "Moshe Emes" are quite easy. From http://www.schoellerfamily.org/scores/ , you should try "Oyfn Pripetshik"... 
From http://www.klezmer.de/Noten/noten.html you should try "Lebedikh un Freylak" (my first klezmer tune, and one of my favorite), "Papirosn" and "Die Grine Cousine"...
All these tunes are easy...  :Mandosmiley:

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## Mandolin-wolf

> The best source that I know of is "Easy Klezmer Tunes:  Classic Tunes from Eastern Europe Arranged for Beginners on All Instruments" by Stacy Phillips and published by Mel Bay in 2003.  The book's contents are grouped into three sections: (1) Khosid'ls and Other Slowish Tunes--6 tunes; (2) Horas--4 tunes; and (3) Freylakhs, Bulgars and Other Up-Tempo Tunes--14 tunes.  Each tune is transcribed for C instruments (one each for violin and flute), and for Bb, Eb, and Bass instruments.  It comes with a CD played by a top notch Klezmer band so you can hear an authentic setting for all of the tunes.  
> 
> Another excellent source is "The Absolutely Complete Klezmer Songbook" ed. by Klezmer scholar and violinist Yale Strom.  This is a 420 page book containing several hundred Klezmer tunes, many of which are fairly easy to play.  Two CD's have been recorded that highlight some of the tunes in the book.  The group on the CD's is Strom's band Hot Pstromi.  The edition I have was published by Transcontinental Music Publications in 2006.


Thanks, Jim. My aunt loves books, and loves to find books for me, so I'll ask her sometime if she can find these!

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## Tele295

How about Anniversary Song?

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## SincereCorgi

Best thing is probably to get some CDs you like and cop the good tunes by ear... the feel is very hard to get (lots of little bends and ornaments) and doesn't necessarily lend itself easily to plucked strings. Maybe check out the first Klezmer Conservatory Band record, or Brave Old World, both fairly traditional-style klezmer with great execution. The Klezmatics and Statman are pretty great though if you want something fresher.

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## Mandolin-wolf

I've heard of the Klezmatics, and the Klezmer Conservatory Band. I'll have to see what I can find. And, I also just started learning the Odessa Bulgar a few weeks ago.

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## allenhopkins

*Here's* _Grine Cousine_ as we play it.  Key of Gm.

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## DougC

http://www.juditheisner.com/klezmer.html

This website has some really nice CD's .
For a while now I have been wanting to put some klezmer mandolin stuff on the net for the benefit of other manolin players. Our band has about 100 tunes in our set list and I play mandolin on all of them. BTW I have pdf's now. (yea!) But our CD is a few years old and there are only two cuts with mandolin. We now have a klezmer string band which I'm sure you'd like because it is the acoustic sound, i.e. fiddle, mandolin, acoustic bass, and hammered dulcimer.  So stay tuned - I'll get it together yet.

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## DougC

> Mandozine has these.  You'll need the free TablEdit Viewer software to see them.  I can play some intermediate stuff by dropping some of the notes.... or leap in and go slowly! I do that too.
> 
> Jamie


Some of the easy tunes in TAB edit from Jamie (thanks Jamie) are MaYofus and Moshe Emes  These are really great tunes that everyone knows. 

Zemer Atik and Hava Nagila are Israeli folk dance tunes.

BTW my favorite book is from that old banjo player himself Henry Sapoznik. It is called "The Compleat Klezmer" You can find it on Amazon.

Other easy tunes are: Turk in America, Broyges Tantz, Shver un Shviger (uncle and aunt), and Tantz, Tantz, Yideleh

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## Mandolin-wolf

Ah, The Compleat Klezmer. That was the book my aunt got me. Should be coming in the mail sometime this week...

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## DougC

I'm glad you are getting this book.  It includes 'A few notes on the Theory and Performance of Klezmer Music' by Pete Sololow which is still the best at describing the modes and rhythms of the music. 

Cravitz a fiddle player from England, has written an excellent book describing the different parts, ie rhythm mandolin/fiddle and bass. No one else has this stuff and it is, to me at least, the best way to get started in the music. Doing some simple chords while the melody is playing is much easier than memorizing lead stuff. Klezmer has a lot of rules about rhythm and style and you need to learn the different dance rhythms. And for that matter a lot of chords written into klezmer scores are jazz chords and they don't work for simple, old world second fiddle / mandolin backup.  Look for Ilana Cravitz - klezmer fiddle, how to guide book. Another gem of a book.

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## fatt-dad

i like to play Shifting Sands.

http://mandozine.com/music/search_re...rder=A&submit=

f-d

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## Mandolin-wolf

The book just came in the mail today. I was just skimming through it, and I like what I'm seeing.

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## DougC

> The book just came in the mail today. I was just skimming through it, and I like what I'm seeing.


There is plenty to read there, a whole history of the klezmer revival just for a start. And page 19 has the rhythms and scales. It is a compleat book, just like the title says. The bottom of page 25 mentions the 'distinctive solo voice' and the tremlo sound that mandolins do so well.

 I would add however that mandolin players in klezmer can and do, play all of the parts of the ensemble. Not just the melodies. By this I mean that you need to know the bass parts, the rhythmic trombone and snare drum parts, secund fiddle parts, and harmony parts as well. The mandolin works with everyone in the band, filling in what is needed at the moment. Unlike clarinet, a mandolin can really do everything and you need to think as you listen to old recordings, how you would play trombone or tuba on a mandolin.

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DavidKOS

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## Mandolin-wolf

Well then........ Challenge accepted.....

What tunes would you recommend starting with out of the book?

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## DougC

Oy, did I make a challange? I guess I did. Well good, that's the attitude. 

Tantz, Tantz, Yidelekh , which means in yiddish "dance, dance young (jewish) man" is like a tune you know and should be a good start. 

Broyges Tantz is another good one. 

For extra credit play the first tune in D Freygish mode/scale (also called Ah-a-va Ra-bah mode). D Freygish is much easier to play and is more common. E Freygish is for the wind players.

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## Mandolin-wolf

Tantz, Tantz, Yidelekh is coming along greatly, although I think I prefer it in the original key of E. Not sure why...

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## DougC

> Tantz, Tantz, Yidelekh is coming along greatly, although I think I prefer it in the original key of E. Not sure why...


I suppose the difference you experience is from the big streach between the second and third fingers.  The frets get smaller, going up the neck and even though it is only one pitch higher; from D to E, that huge 1 1/2 step interval gets a little smaller in E. 

For thoes who want to know,
 the D freygish mode goes like this:

D,  Eb, F#, G, A, Bb, C, D

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## Mandolin-wolf

I suppose you're right. Started picking it in D, and while not too different, it is a longer stretch.

And actually, I first learned Hava Nagila in D, as well as Misirlou.

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## DougC

Actually you should start playing the tune up an octave.  It is easier up there because the frets are closer together. AND klezmer music is usually played with a high and low lead players. 

If I can find the time, I'll write out the tune with rhythm parts for 'second fidl' / mandolin.  

I've been working in Finale 2012 and I'm trying to get mandolin chord charts to function. Anyone have experience with Finale's weird chord library system for mandolin fingerboards?

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DavidKOS

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## Mandolin-wolf

Interesting, I'll try playing a couple tunes in the higher octave. Speaking of Misirlou, why is it associated with klezmer music when it is a Greek folk song?

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## Ronny

Miserlou is actually a Greek song, but who can where the melody comes from ???
(see wikipedia here) 
The mode is used in klezmer music (but not only), so...

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## Mandolin-wolf

I also started learning Tantz Tantz Yidelekh in A. Not to different from D or E, depending on which octave you decide to play it in. I also started playing some klezmer tunes with Irish trad tunes....

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## DougC

Hmmm I have some major issues with mixing ethnic musics. So be warned my friend. Enough said. 

I have authored a book of Irish tunes. PM me and I'll get you one.

I've been fussing with Tantz Tantz Yideleh as a music notation experiment in Finale. I do plan to post the result here. It will be some sort of chart that includes TAB, mandolin chords and an example of 'back up' or secund rhythm fidl part. It will probably be in D. 
And I'll have to try playing it in A. Great idea.

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## DougC

I apologise for my 'cranky' comments. Sometimes I dont' edit and regret my impulsive short hand. There are many reasons for not mixing different musics in a set. But in this situation I had no reason to say so. As a personal set of mandolin tunes, why not play what you like?

As for klezmer music, my wife pointed out an important aspect of articulating notes that I want to share.  I was showing her my opus called 'Tantz, Tantz, Yiddeleh' and she said that groups of notes, in this case *sixteenth notes, are not played as written.* Every two notes go long-short, long-short. The first and third notes out of four are longer than their neighboring notes. Writing this in music is rarely done because it is so subtle. BUT the easy way to remember this style occured to me in the middle of the night. It is the *Biddy-Bidddy Bum Bum in the song from Fiddler on the Roof - "If I were a rich man."* 

As a test of this theory I have been going around the house singing all kinds of klezmer tunes in this Biddy-Bum-Bum style. The Bum-Bum's are eighth notes. Tantz, Tanz, Yiddeleh is for example, goes Biddy-Biddy-Biddy-Biddy, Bum, Biddy, Bum.

My cat looks at me like I'm nuts, but I think this is really cool.

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DavidKOS

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## DougC

The two note artiulation is just the other way around.  Biddy = short-long 
But you get the idea. If you listen closely to a recording it goes that way. It's kind of a lilting quality. esp. on descending lines.

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## Mandolin-wolf

> I apologise for my 'cranky' comments.


Nah, your fine. I don't take offense to those kind of comments. But, anyway, how's Tantz, Tantz Yidelekh in A working for you? Playing on the G-string is a bit of a stretch for me, but Im sure I figure it out sooner or later!  :Mandosmiley: 

And, as for the articulation, I'll have to try and listen for it.

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## DougC

Tantz, Tantz Yiddeleh for mandolins.mp3

O.K.  here is a three page pdf of Tantz, Tanz, Yiddeleh  arranged for fiddle, lead mandolin, back-up mandolin (or second fidl), and bass fiddle. *TAB and chord charts are included for lead mandolin and back-up mandolin.* Click on the image to download the pdf.

The backup mandolin stays on the bottom strings. I hardly ever play the e-string in backup stuff. Also the mandolin works closely with the string bass. The bass does the down beat and mandolin, the up beat i.e. Oom-pah - the pah is me, the mandolin player. 
The chords are almost always two notes and sometimes three and there is a real art to voicing the notes to fit the melodies. 

I've included a Mp3 sound file so you can hear the whole thing. What do you think?

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flagstaffcharlie

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## Mandolin-wolf

That's awesome. I'll probably be working on this for a while. Thank you.

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## SincereCorgi

> Tantz, Tantz Yiddeleh for mandolins.mp3
> 
> O.K.  here is a three page pdf of Tantz, Tanz, Yiddeleh  arranged for fiddle, lead mandolin, back-up mandolin (or second fidl), and bass fiddle. *TAB and chord charts are included for lead mandolin and back-up mandolin.* Click on the image to download the pdf.
> 
> The backup mandolin stays on the bottom strings. I hardly ever play the e-string in backup stuff. Also the mandolin works closely with the string bass. The bass does the down beat and mandolin, the up beat i.e. Oom-pah - the pah is me, the mandolin player. 
> The chords are almost always two notes and sometimes three and there is a real art to voicing the notes to fit the melodies. 
> 
> I've included a Mp3 sound file so you can hear the whole thing. What do you think?


That's very cool of you to put that up, Doug. There seem to be some discrepancies between the suggested mandolin tablature and the violin line though- is the mandolin tablature meant to be an octave up?

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## DougC

> That's very cool of you to put that up, Doug. There seem to be some discrepancies between the suggested mandolin tablature and the violin line though- is the mandolin tablature meant to be an octave up?


The mandolin in regular notation is not shown. I got lazy and did not want another staff on the page. Good observation!
The mandolin player who wants to play the upper octave can play that violin part. 
Also thought that it may be a good exercise to write out the mandolin part since the TAB is right there. I can post the octave lower part if you'd like.
(And I should write out the whole thing in D....) Another day.

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## Lord of the Badgers

our current fav to play is Bulgar Ala Naftule, though maybe you purists would tell me it's not proper klezmer?... however in this case the lead is clarinet & trumpet with my on my harmonium as rhythm (plus our guitarist). We play it loads faster than any of the youtube versions.

what a tune...

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## Larry321

Isn't all ethnic music a mixing of other ethnic music?
It is well understood that Ukrainian musicians and Jewish musicians often worked together, played at each others'weddings, and took influence from Turkish, Romanian and gypsy music. 


> Hmmm I have some major issues with mixing ethnic musics. So be warned my friend. Enough said. 
> 
> I have authored a book of Irish tunes. PM me and I'll get you one.
> 
> I've been fussing with Tantz Tantz Yideleh as a music notation experiment in Finale. I do plan to post the result here. It will be some sort of chart that includes TAB, mandolin chords and an example of 'back up' or secund rhythm fidl part. It will probably be in D. 
> And I'll have to try playing it in A. Great idea.

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DavidKOS

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## flagstaffcharlie

This is such a great thread! I have the Mel Bay book. I'm looking at this as a guitarist and accompanist. I play with a good mandolin player, and we want to add some klezmer to our routine. Lots here for me to look into!

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## DavidKOS

I just re-read this thread.

The only thing I would add is that to make ANY of the Klezmer - or Russian, Greek, Romanian, Rom, etc. - tunes actually sound like Yiddish music is the use of ornaments, such as the dreydlekh.

Without these essential ornaments the tunes will not sound particularly Jewish. So the real trick in playing Klezmer STYLE is to remember that the tune is not really the tune without the ornamentation.

https://www.homespun.com/shop/produc...klezmer-music/

Andy Statman explains this:

"On this DVD lesson, Andy Statman discusses the background, techniques and stylistic nuances needed to perform klezmer correctly -- regardless of the instrument you play. He teaches several typical melodies, first playing each one slowly and unornamented, then demonstrating how trills, slurs, grace notes, vibrato and other variations "bring out the heart that's inside the melody." You'll learn connecting runs, classic endings, "dangerous" ornaments to avoid, and the rhythmic underpinning of this vital music."

Yes it's on clarinet, but the musical material is so important if you want to play Klezmer music, not just play the tunes in any old style.



Please read this selection about ornaments.

One final comment - it is also possible to over-ornament a tune, sometimes less is more.

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DougC, 

Mandobart

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## DavidKOS

> Isn't all ethnic music a mixing of other ethnic music?
> It is well understood that Ukrainian musicians and Jewish musicians often worked together, played at each others'weddings, and took influence from Turkish, Romanian and gypsy music.


Yes, when the situations and/or laws allowed for mixed groups or for bands of various ethnicities to play at the same functions. The musicians definitely swapped repertoire or already knew common material.

What was different was HOW each group played. Only the Klezmer bands used the full range of ornaments that define Yiddish music.

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## ralph johansson

Get Stacy Phillips' book and/or the Streets of Gold album by the Klezmorim (or the First Recordings CD on Arhoolie). These will keep you busy for some time. My favorite is A Glezele Vayn, a true compendium of klezmer modes.

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## DougC

The particular sound of any ethnic music is much like an accent in language. It takes a little experience, but after a while one can recognize that the tune is klezmer and not gypsy, Israeli or whatever.  And this, you don't get from sheet music.  *And I strongly recommend not mixing styles until you really can hear the difference.*

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DavidKOS

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## DavidKOS

> *The particular sound of any ethnic music is much like an accent in language*. It takes a little experience, but after a while one can recognize that the tune is klezmer and not gypsy, Israeli or whatever.  And this, you don't get from sheet music.  *And I strongly recommend not mixing styles until you really can hear the difference.*


That is what I was saying in reference to Klezmer style and ornamentation.

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DougC

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## brunello97

> *And I strongly recommend not mixing styles until you really can hear the difference.*


That's what I know.

Mick

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