Below is a list of some easily available, free or inexpensive digital tools that can assist in learning Klezmer music.
The descriptions below include information provided by people who have participated in KlezCalifornia. They identify software applications that have been helpful to them, are free, and are relatively easy to use. KlezCalifornia makes no representations on which software is best, nor does the organization officially endorse any of these tools.
Please note that some tools may be specific to certain personal computer operating systems such as Windows and the Mac Operating System, or to mobile platforms such as IOS and Android.
Simple Playback software:
Used to listen to prerecorded music
You undoubtedly have standard software already installed that will play back audio files. These typically include Windows Media Player and Apple iTunes. The VLC Media Player is also commonly used. If you select a file, such as the mp3 files included in the tune archive, it will bring up your default playback program. Videos accessible in browsers, such as in YouTube, are also played back through the browser.
Slow-Downers
Used to assist learning music by ear. They can slow the playback speed while keeping the pitch unaffected. This helps in ascertaining what is happening melodically in terms of ornamentation, rhythm, dynamics and pitch contours. It also helps to hear what is going on in the accompaniment. Slowing down the playback may also facilitate transcribing it into conventional notation by ear.
Although some simple playback software can slow down the audio, e.g., YouTube and Windows Media Player, the specialized Slow-Downers are better at selecting and looping specific areas on which to focus, and some can even change the pitch level.
Slowing down playback of music so you can learn a tune by ear, detect precisely what ornamentation is being used and to ascertain what is happening rhythmically, dynamically and pitchwise in the melody, and also identify the accompaniment.
A slow-downer may also help you to transcribe a piece of music into conventional notation, developed for Western art music, with the understanding that the notation is an abstraction of the music. Learning by deep listening first and trying to recreate what is heard is more nuanced, expressive and true to the source.
For more intensive analysis of the music you may want to use specialized audio editing software which can help you to focus in on particular sections of the music and/or slow-downer software.
Mike Perlmutter’s recommendations are as follows:
It is super helpful to slow recordings down to listen closer to what’s going on. It is better if you can loop small sections of recorded tunes. Various software is available. Some widely used tools are:
- Transcribe! https://www.seventhstring.com/xscribe/overview.html
- Audacity https://www.audacityteam.org/about/
- Amazing Slow Downer https://www.ronimusic.com/
- Windows Media Player https://apps.microsoft.com/detail/9wzdncrfj3pt?hl=en-US&gl=US Click the dots in the lower right corner and select Speed.
- YouTube You can click the settings icon (gear) in the lower right of the screen and
choose among a number of preset playback speed percentages.
Notation Software:
Mike Perlmutter’s recommendation is as follows:
MuseScore https://musescore.com/
This is free music notation software. It is helpful also for playback, transposition, looping, composing, trying out harmonies, counterpoint, etc. Some users have made their charts available to edit. This is helpful especially for more well-known tunes.
Note that Mike has provided MuseScore files for the pieces he presented in his workshop, and he also provided a video he made on how to use MuseScore.
Collaboration Software:
This is software that can be used for musicians who are physically separated to play together simultaneously. They hear themselves and the other musicians by using an internet connection. Those who have tried to collaborate on Zoom and some other collaboration platforms have been frustrated because of lag time issues that make synchronization impossible. The lag is caused by processing and communication protocols as well as physical distance between the collaborators. These make the lag time unstable an unacceptably long.
Allen Levin, a regular participant in many of KlezCalifornia’s events, has recommended the following:
I have started using SonoBus to perform and practice with others online. The software has excellent audio quality, a great user interface and allows people to play together that are within about a 500 mile radius. It requires a high-speed wired connection to the internet, an audio interface with wired microphone and headphones. The software is free and runs on iOS, Android, OSX, Windows and Linux.
SonoBus: https://www.sonobus.net/
There are other platforms besides SonoBus, most have a fee, some are not as simple to set up.
Jim’s note: Per Josh Horowitz, the software has not “solved” the latency problem, but has taken measures to mitigate it. The results will still depend onindividual hardware, network quality, and geographical distance.
For those that require recording audio input you will need a microphone, preferably digital other audio input. Using a set of headphones is also recommended. You may also find it helpful to use computer audio interface box such as the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 (4th Gen), which works on both Windows and Mac systems.
DAW (Digital Audio Workstations – This is software used for recording, editing, and producing audio. Common features include multi-track recording, mixing and effects processing. One basic use is to play back your own performance to evaluate it. You can also lay down accompaniment tracks and perform over them. There is usually a steep leaning curve. There are a few free DAWS such as:
Apple Garageband (Mac) this is bundled with Macs. Also is on iPhones.
Traktion Waveform Free https://www.tracktion.com/products/waveform-free
Bandlab https://www.bandlab.com/
Audacity (referenced above) has some simple DAW capabilities.
For those that require recording audio input you will need a microphone, preferably digital other audio input. Using a set of headphones is also recommended. You may also find it helpful to use computer audio interface box such as the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 (4th Gen), which works on both Windows and Mac systems.
A good resource for information on the more complex (and more expensive) DAWs, and also Notation Software is the vendor Sweetwater. https://www.sweetwater.com/shop/software-plugins/
Drones, Metronome, and Tuner:
Mike Perlmutter’s recommendations are as follows:
The app Mike used during the workshop was TonalEnergy Tuner, found at https://tonalenergy.com/ He had attendees play modal passages over a drone on the tonic. A license is $9.99. It is helpful to have something that does all three functions. That way you can tune your instrument, and then set a drone and a rhythm to play over.
There are lots of different free options for single-purpose metronomes and tuners on desktops as well as mobile devices.
Jim’s note: Tuning apps are generally set up for 12-tone equal temperament. Metronome apps assume a uniform pulse. These may not exactly suit your needs for alternate tunings or when the underlying pulse is not equally spaced (isochronal).
Sheet Music Scanners –These programs allow you to scan printed sheet music and convert it into a format that can be imported into notations software. This can be a good shortcut if you need to rearrange the music or transpose it. The results often require extensive editing. You will need a scanner. These programs are not free.
Music Transcription Software – These relatively new programs can create notation from digital audio input. They usually use AI. These programs are not free.
Music Accompaniment Software – These programs produce an accompaniment track. The user selects a style and inputs the chord symbols and the program does the rest. The results can be surprisingly robust, even though they are not interactive. The most well-know program in Band-in-a-Box https://www.pgmusic.com/. Sherry Mayrent has developed a specialized set of Klezmer styles for the program. https://klezmeracademy.com/store/klezmorim-in-a-kestl-vol-1-download-only https://www.nortonmusic.com/klez.html
Information provided by Jim Rebhan, March 2026