The
Tango Fake
Book™©
Rob
Nuijten has an interview with the
maker, pianist Mark Wyman.
*The
Tango Fake Book™© is a
book of sheet music containing
over one hundred pieces: tangos,
milongas, vals, tango nuevo, and
tango canción. Each has
lead melody line, often popular
counter-melodies and variations,
and chord symbols above the
staff. Composer and date of
composition (if available) too;
all are in the most common
original keys. The Tango Fake
Book is available in both
2/4
and 4/4
versions.
A very broad spectrum of
composers and styles are
represented. The pieces include
selections from among the very
first tangos, from before 1900;
Guardia
vieja
tunes; Golden
Age
tangos; and modern and recent
compositions. This book of sheet
music is meant for 'a la
parrilla' playing (improvised
arrangements); the charts are
intentionally clear and simple.
All are intended to be quickly
readable in a live situation.
Every effort has been made to
make these partituras as accurate
as possible, so they are also
good for study, and for a basis
for an original
arrangement.
Can you explain why is it called 'Tango Fake
book' and why musicians would have no problem
carrying a book around with that
name?
In jazz circles, the term 'fake book' or 'real
book' are widely used. Here, in the tango crowd,
they are not so well known, and so need a bit of
explanation. You know how to play the style of jazz already,
so, voila - you can 'fake it'. This book is
the same, but for tango.
Are there that many musicians desperately
needing a 'fake book', that it seemed a good idea
to start producing them, or is it just a nice
gesture for the few who need to fake to
survive?
I do indeed see a need for this book. This book
started because I needed one! I was making these
charts more and more, and then I put them in a map,
and then I thought, well, if I need it, maybe there
are others. I then made many charts which I thought
were essential,
then printed and bound them professionally, and
here it is.
I think there are many people in the world who
need this book. I use it often,
and... it may be a nice gesture.
Is the name 'Tango Fake Book' something you
introduced to the world?
The Fake Books started in jazz in the 1970s. The
first ones were not exactly legal. After some time
people created Real Books, which were legal. That
was the only difference. But now, all are legal.
Now there is no practical difference between the
two, as far as I know. I have copyrighted and
trademarked the name 'The Tango Fake Book', and the
book itself, the work inside.
So, are you the first ever producing one for
Tango?
This is the only Tango Fake Book. Google it! You
will see it.
(of course the editor googled it.
Are there plans for more editions after this
one, with new titles?
Yes! There will, one day, be the Vocal Tango
Fake Book, with words included. And there must be
another one...,
The Tango Fake Book Volume 2, because there are
so many beautiful tangos yet to do!
You say that the compositions are shown in
'the most original keys'. Where did you find all
those original compositions?
Anywhere I could.... First of all, I have many
recordings of tango, which I have bought in the US
and Argentina and here in the Netherlands; I get
them from todotango.com;
just anywhere I can find them. I also have copies
of the Korn and Universel editions. All this
gives me the idea of the best key; I look for the
oldest of course, but often the most common one is
the one I consider the original.
Click at picture for
enlargment.
For
those not yet that familiar with Tango music, can
you explain what you mean with 'Guardia
Vieja tunes', and 'Golden
Age tangos'*?
Guardia vieja (Old Guard) refers to the
period of tango near the beginning, perhaps 1900
into the 1920s. There was a period then called
Guardia nueva, which was superseded by the
orchestras of the Golden Age, which refers
to the period from about mid-1930s through the
1950s.
Now, these terms are used more in reference to
orchestra styles rather than compositions. But I
use it to refer to the tangos recorded by these
orchestras at these times, because many tangos are
so strongly identified with some orchestras'
recordings.
What difference
will an amature listener hear between '2/4 and 4/4
versions'? Can you explain something about this
2/4 and 4/4, for
a non musician?
For a listener, there is really no difference.
It is strictly for the performer. These numbers
refer to the time signature (often used
interchangeably with 'meter'), a musical
measurement, the organisation of music into
units of accented and unaccented beats.
Meter is actually what is heard and is not the
same as a time signature, which is what is written.
So what is heard, as a tango is performed, is
the same, regardless of what is written. This to me reflects the dance in the best way.
The dance is generally danced two steps per
measure. This is the original 'dos por cuatro', two
strong beats on four.
But modern tango composers such as Astor
Piazzolla began writing in 4/4. This for them
was easier to read, and reflected the more even
beat pattern in the music, in such tunes as
'Michelangelo 70'. These days, many tango
musicians, though not all, prefer to see tango
written in 4/4.
You say that every effort has been made
to make these partituras as accurate as possible.
What efforts were those? Were there other
people involved in your research?
When I want to transcribe a tango, I listen to
every version I can possibly find, and then
'average out' the melody. My idea is to create the
plainest and simplest version, the purest version
of a melody, so that the notes have the least
influence on the player. Sometimes this can be a
major challenge. In some cases, I could find only
one recording. For example, it might be by a singer
who bends the phrases a lot. Then, I must rely on
my own musical judgment in order to filter out what
the performer is adding to the performance, and
derive the unadulterated melody. To make them
accurate, I researched them as much as I could. I
listened to recordings, looked at other scores if
they were available,
and discussed the music at length with fellow
tango musicians in Amsterdam, Europe, the US and
Argentina, who offered valuable corrections. I
thank them for the time they took with me.
Santiago Cimadevilla link
(bandoneon player) was one of these; he took the
book to Buenos Aires and showed it to musicians
there. One comment I am proud of: Julian
Peralta (leader of Orquesta Típica
Fernandez Fierro / link)
saw it, and, after offering comments, pronounced it
the best that he had seen.
Original first appearances of partituras that
I bought at the fleemarket in Buenos Aires, seemed
to be written for piano. How's that done in the
Tango Fake Book?
No, these scores are for any instrument. They
consist of only melody and chords, specifically so
as not to influence a performance. I know those
piano charts, and they are arrangements, that is,
specific notes to play are all written out. You
either play those notes, or nothing. If you don't
like that arrangement, too bad.
My idea was to free a tango musician from those
notes, to allow him to play the music as he feels
'in the moment', without any influence, on any
instrument.
For more details, and ordering information,
we go to...?
Go see http://harmonk.com/
.
The Tango Fake Book is named after the jazz Fake
Books. To 'fake' (in this well-known context) means
to pretend you know a tune, when actually you
don't. In jazz, you might get a call for a gig, and
go play it, without knowing some of the tunes. If
you have your Fake Book with you, if someone calls
a tune you don't know, you flip open the book and
there is the melody and chords.
If you know how to play tango style already, then
all you need are melody and chords to 'fake' any
tango tune. But this book is useful for any tango
musician. I hope that as more people learn to play
tango, and equip themselves with Fake Books, there
will be more improvised tango music in the world. I
think it is essential to know how to improvise an
arrangement. All good performers have this skill.
Click
here)
Tango originally was written in 2/4 (to be
technical: 2 beats per measure, a 1/4 note gets one
beat).
It is not possible to do a work like this without
consulting others, and without a lot of help. The
good people of Amsteltango
were the main contributors in this regard.
But this simplicity also makes this book good for
study, or to make an own arrangement.
tangofakebook