Ahava-Rabba scale

[bjs]

http://jubileeinstruments.messianic-web ... ethnic.htm

I love that Ahava-Rava scale sound, but found it hard to play, so after much research (calculated al 11 transpositions) here is my world shattering discovery.

Get out a Bb whistle, play the Ahava Rabba scale with bell note E
E F# G Bb B C# D
Out comes Ahava Rabba scale with bell note C
C D Eb F# G A Bb

Anybody got some dots for Ahava-Rabba music? The web site above has some mp3s and wavs.

Brian

[Daniel_Bingamon]

That's interesting. Of course, this splits the mode up a bit when playing but it does double the use for a Bb whistle.

Ahava Rabba Mode Songs:

Rezele
Hava Nagila
Part of Kandels Hora
Russian Sher - also called Sher

Check out this website for more:
http://www.manchesterklezmer.org/ They have music in Mozart format and MIDI files as well.

[Flyingcursor]

Thanks for the link. I think the subject has come up before. I did a search and found four other threads that, at least, mentioned this scale. I'll give it a try.

[John S]

I made a "Klezma" whistle very similar to this a couple of years ago and had lots of fun playing Irish tunes on it at sessions.
In fact I recommend that you all have one of these handy for when some pissed up git wants to play your whistle.
Check out http://www.ku.edu/~crees/outreach/sopilka.pdf for a chromatic Whistle.

TTFN
John S

[talasiga]

http://jubileeinstruments.messianic-web ... ethnic.htm

I love that Ahava-Rava scale sound, but found it hard to play, so after much research (calculated al 11 transpositions) here is my world shattering discovery.

Get out a Bb whistle, play the Ahava Rabba scale with bell note E
E F# G Bb B C# D
Out comes Ahava Rabba scale with bell note C
C D Eb F# G A Bb

Anybody got some dots for Ahava-Rabba music? The web site above has some mp3s and wavs.

Brian

Sorry Brian but the site appears to give a D Ahava-Rabba scale as
D Eb F# G A Bb C D+. (beginning with a five finger tonic on the C tube of that custom made whistle)

Your transpositions to C tonic and E tonic do not accord with this interval pattern. With E tonic, the scale would be
E F G# A B C D E+
and with C tonic the scale would be
C Db E F G Ab Bb C+

That is to say from D to D1 in the example they give the scale is
1:3:1:2:1:2:2
whereas your scales are
2:1:3:1:2:1:2

Low Copper Whistle
Ahava Rabba Mode 7 holes

Second hole is root, tonic note of scale
..........

Example: Key of D,

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

(emboldenings by talasiga)

[bjs]

Sorry Brian but the site appears to give a D Ahava-Rabba scale as
D Eb F# G A Bb C D+. (beginning with a five finger tonic on the C tube of that custom made whistle)

Right I shouldn't have called that list a scale since a scale is written starting with the tonic. I guess I confused "bell note" and "tonic". So does "bell note" means lowest note playable on an instrument? I guess it does.

So I should have said Ahava Rabba scale with tonic f# is easily playable on a d whistle. Pretend we are in the key of d, don't play an A and throw in a Bb. Then if you swap to a Bb whistle the Ahava Rabba D scale comes out.

How's that?
Brian

[talasiga]

So I should have said Ahava Rabba scale with tonic f# is easily playable on a d whistle. Pretend we are in the key of d, don't play an A and throw in a Bb. Then if you swap to a Bb whistle the Ahava Rabba D scale comes out.

How's that?

Without half holing (or cross fingereing - if that is possible on your pipe)you will not be able to get that scale on any major scale tube. Yes, with a 4 finger tonic you will only need to half hole one note but can you do this at fast tempo?

And no, on a Bb tube that scale does not come out. You will still have to half hole the 4th to get your natural 3rd as you had to with the D tube.

Better to buy the Daniel Bingamon number, methinks.
I think Bloomfield will agree too.

[bjs]

My point was that if you take f# as tonic and the Ahava-Rabba scale then you only need one crossfingering/halfholing on a d whistle.

Since D up to F# is 4 semi tones and Bb up to d is 4 semitones I can play my Bb pretending it is a D and tonic is actually d.

Am I missing something? Cross fingered Bb is quite easy to play. Maybe not at speed though?

Brian

[Daniel_Bingamon]

Speed is part of the nature of Klezmer music. The songs start out slow (which in fact is sometimes already fast to some) and they get faster.

The Chassidics says that you increase speed until you reach D'vukus. (Which I think is what they refer to as holy ecstacy)

[Wombat]

Forget half-holing and crossfingering for the scale tones of this mode, IMO. It's used extensively in Balkans, Middle Eastern and Spanish music as well as Klezmer and is wonderful to play. Speed is important in all these musics. But, just as important is expressiveness and you need to be able to slide onto and off the notes in the scale with full control as well as to get around lightning fast.

For those who haven't already, do yourselves a favour. Treat yourself. Get yourself one of Daniel's Ahava Rabba whistles. Better still, get two. You won't regret it.