Frequently asked questions.
— ordering in the USA —
Ordering in the USA? The Klezmer Playbook, Klezmer Playbook 2 and Fun an Altn Klezmer Heft books are now available to order directly in the USA. The Klezmer Institute as license holder is
now responsible for handling all USA orders. If you live in the USA please go to their website to order books:
https://klezmerinstitute.org/shades-of-folk-folios/
If you can’t find an answer to your question in the FAQs below, you can email the Klezmer Institute directly for help: [email protected]
Why is the Klezmer Playbook not available as PDF?
The Klezmer Playbook and Klezmer Playbook 2 are only available as printed, physical books, not as PDF. We apologise to those who have to pay expensive shipping costs, and to those who prefer to use iPads and tablets – we know this is frustrating. But please understand that we like to protect our work by not giving out digital files of the books. It was an enormous amount of work to put these books together and we don’t want them to be spread easily over the internet. On the plus side, this makes the Klezmer Playbook something special and precious, and as a book owner you are invited to the KlezmerPlaybook CLUB - see below.
Which book should I buy?
The Klezmer Playbook comes in six editions for C, Bb and Eb instruments, Viola, Cello and Melody & Bass. If you play a non-transposing instrument like violin, accordion or flute then you need the book for C instruments. If you play clarinet, trumpet or tenor sax you probably read in Bb. Alto saxes are Eb instruments, and the Cello book is for any instrument reading bass clef (trombone, bassoon etc.). If you don't know what a transposing instrument or a bass clef is then you probably don't play any of those and you will be fine with the book for C-instruments. All the books include chord symbols. The Melody & Bass book is identical to the C-instruments book with an added bass line intended for eg. pianists, guitar or bass players. The bass lines are not perfectly suitable for accordion so accordionists would probably prefer the C-instruments book. Please have a look at the preview pages of the books to help you make your decision.
Are the playalongs on a CD? I didn’t receive one.
The playalongs are available digitally via the link and password written on the inside front cover of your Klezmer Playbook. You can download the playalongs to your computer or mobile device, but
you can also use the player on Dropbox which has a convenient slow-down (speed) function. Make sure you have a good WIFI connection and enough space on your device while downloading. You can burn
audio-CDs for your personal use, of course.
Practising with the playalongs is a great way to improve your feel for tempo, rhythm and intonation. Each tune is recorded twice, in slow and faster tempo and each recording is with and without
clarinet (= a piano-only backing track). So there are 4 playalong tracks for each tune, which is almost 10 hours of music, so it wouldn’t fit on one CD.
Can I access the playalongs if I don’t have a Dropbox account?
Yes, absolutely! You don’t need a Dropbox account to access the playalongs. Dropbox will ask you to sign up or log in – just ignore that. Also, do NOT click on "Copy to Dropbox" or "Join Susi Szilvia on Dropbox" as these options are not available. You can either play the MP3s directly in your browser while you're online, or download them to your computer or a mobile device. If a small window appears asking you to “Sign up or log in,” simply click the link at the bottom that says “Or continue with download only” – and you're done. Dropbox makes this unnecessarily complicated.
What is the Bonus Album?
When we were recording the playalongs with clarinet and piano, we were careful to stick to the melody as written in the book - without too much variation - to help you learn the tunes. The
playalongs became really popular, but some of our CLUB members asked to hear how we would play these tunes in a concert or jam session – and with accordion! So we decided to sit down and record
all 50 tunes again (!) but this time we allowed the music to unfold more freely, in dialogue between our instruments. We hope these playful bonus recordings will give you inspiration and
enjoyment while driving your car, cooking your dinner, or wherever you like to listen to music. We had a lot of fun recording them!
The Bonus Albums for both Klezmer Playbooks are available on our Bandcamp page if you’d like to buy them – but if you’ve purchased a Klezmer Playbook, you get the digital version for
FREE! It’s our gift to you. You’ll find these recordings with the playalongs via the link and password written on the inside front cover of your Klezmer Playbook.
What is the KlezmerPlaybook CLUB?
The KlezmerPlaybook CLUB is a wonderful international online learning community for everyone who owns a copy of the Klezmer Playbook and wants to go deeper into playing in a klezmer style. It’s also an opportunity to meet nice people from all over the world and play music in a friendly, encouraging and informal setting. The regular online workshops are taught by Szilvia Csaranko (accordion) and Susi Evans (clarinet), the authors of the Klezmer Playbook. The CLUB has been going since 2021 and we have an archive of 80+ workshop video recordings. Please read more about the CLUB here:
Can I order Klezmer Playbooks from Shades of Folk directly?
Susi and Szilvia (Shades of Folk) are based in Europe and we deal directly with orders worldwide, except the USA. The Klezmer Institute are the licence holders in the USA and they handle all orders from North America. If you live in the USA please order the Klezmer Playbook from klezmerinstitute.org/shades-of-folk-folios/
Can I get a discount if I buy multiple books?
Yes of course! We offer a discount especially for ensembles who want to purchase multiple editions of the Klezmer Playbook. If you live in the USA, please get in touch directly with the Klezmer Institute about bulk orders: [email protected]