Swedish Folk Music

     When people think of Swedish music, typically the first thing that comes to mind are pop artists like ABBA and Avicii, however Sweden has a really interesting folk music tradition as well. 

The earliest example of Swedish folk music is Kulning. These pieces date back to the Middle Ages, and were used for the purpose of herding sheep, goats, and cows. These tunes were typically sung by a woman as they needed to be in a high register in order to carry across the fields. Their melodies use quarter and half tones which give them a distinctive sound. The composer Edvard Grieg (Norwegian), used a lot of Kulning melodies in his music, including in his famous Peer Gynt Suite.

Example of a Kulning

A lot of Swedish folk music is now dance music, with many traditional pieces being waltzes, mazurkas, and most importantly Polskas.

Example of a Polksa

Polskas are popular folk dances in Sweden that originated in Poland. However, they have been adapted into Swedish culture, with Swedes using their own melodic elements and instrumentation to give them a Swedish sound. Polskas are typically written in 3/4 , but unlike waltzes, the emphasis is put on Beats 1 and 3 instead of just the firsts beat. In Sweden there are 4 main types of Polskas:

1.     Even Polska (Jamn Polska)- In this type of Polska, the beats are divided into two eighth notes of even length, and 16^th notes are often used as well. This type of Polska is common in the Southern and Eastern areas of Sweden.

2.    Uneven Polska (Ojamn Polska)- This type of Polska divides the beats into 3 triplets or two notes with uneven lengths (like a dotted eighth-sixteenth note rhythm). This version is the most popular and is played throughout most of Sweden.

3.    Polska with Short First Beat (Polska med Kort Etta)- In this type of Polska, the first beat is shortened. This version is common in Western Sweden. 

4.    Polska with long first beat (Polska med leng Etta) – In this type, the first beat is prolonged and the third beat is shortened. This version is also common in Western Sweden. 

An important element of Swedish folk music is its instrumentation. Fiddles are the most commonly used instrument in Swedish Folk music. Fiddles often use standard tuning (G-D-A-E), but it is also very common to retune the fiddles. In Western Sweden, A-D-A-E tuning is used so frequently that it is often called standard tuning in that region. Retuning the fiddle to A-E-A-C# (called nackastamning) is associated with the devil or fairy tale creatures like trolls. Accordions are also commonly used in Swedish folk music. The 5 row button accordion is most commonly used, but piano accordions are also used fairly often. Clarinets and flutes are also pretty commonly used. A really interesting instrument used in Swedish folk music is the Nyckelharpa. It looks similar to a standard fiddle but it is actually more similar to the Hurdy Gurdy. It has 37 keys that are attached to switches that change the pitch of strings when pressed. It also has 19 strings, some of which are used to play a melody, some of which are sympathetic, and one of the strings is meant to play a drone. 

The Nyckelharpa being played

One thing that was really interesting to me as I did research is how much Swedish folk music is important to Swedish culture. There are fol, or folk music clubs all over Sweden. In addition to this, group singing and community sing alongs are very common in Swedish culture. During these events, people gather together to sing ballads and other folk tunes. Today the show Allsang Pa Skansen(sing along at Skansen) continues this tradition. Singalongs have regularly taken place in Skansen since the 1930s and have been televised since the 1970s. Thousands of people will gather in Skansen to sing traditional songs with the hosts and celebrity guests, and there are often over a million people viewing the show. 

Clip from the show

There are also numerous festivals in Sweden, like the Midsummer celebration, where people gather to sing and celebrate. The Midsummer celebration marks the start of the summer holidays in Sweden. People come from all over to gather and dance, eat traditional food, and sing classic Swedish songs. 

Midsummer celebration

There are also numerous small music festivals called Spelmansstamma. Most places in Sweden have one of these a year, some being really small, and some drawing in thousands of people. In the summer, these meetings are generally held outdoors. There are often lots of small groups playing, and each festival includes a visstuga, or a singing session which usually happens in a house in order to make it easy to hear voices. 

An example of some of the small groups (often called buskspels which translates to “playing in the bushes”) at the festivals

Another interesting part of Swedish folk music culture is the idea of Riksspelman. This is considered a badge of mastery for Swedish folk musicians. The term was created in 1933, and an average of 10 people a year receive this title. To gain the title you must perform for the Zorn Jury and be awarded the silver Zorn badge. There is also a Gold Zorn Badge, but you can not compete for it; it is reserved for one or two musicians who are preselected by the Zorn Jury. 

The Silver Zorn Badge

    

    The Zorn Jury is made up of 9 members, generally folk musicians with great experience and knowledge. They often are people who have won the title of Riksspelman. One spot on the jury may be held by a scholar with an academic background rather than a musical background. 
Every year, three members of the Zorn Jury are selected to judge the Zorn trials. A fourth judge is selected from the region where the trials are being held. The Zorn trials are held during the summer, each year in a different location. They are open to any musicians over 16. Participants have to play instruments regarded as “traditional” or the jury can deny their requests to participate. (There is no set idea of what is considered traditional, as the jury has not put out a list, however it is not uncommon for people to be denied the opportunity to participate based on their instrument.) There are no restrictions on nationality; currently there are four non-Swedes who are riksspelman. Each participant is given 15 minutes to play and asked to play 3-5 tunes for the jury. They are judged on rhythm, technique, intonation, and ‘qualities as a folk musician’ which is the most heavily wieighted category. Partipants are expected to demonstrate mastery of a specific region’s music; badges are never given to people who play tunes from multiple regions. Trials are closed to the public but are recorded. At the end of each day, results are posted and at the end of the week, badges are distributed at the National Folk Musicians gathering (rikspelmansstamman). 
    Overall this was a really interesting culture and music tradition to learn about. I think all of the festivals and competitions that go with the music help reinforce the importance of music in Swedish culture. 
                                                                        Works Cited

“Evolution of Swedish Folk Music.” Swedish Press, 26 June 2021, swedishpress.com/evolution-of-swedish-folk-music/.  

Goldrick, Stacey. “Midsummer Means Classic Swedish Music and Lots of Tomas Ledin.” Spotify, 20 June 2019, www.newsroom.spotify.com/2019-06-21/midsummer-means-classic-swedish-music-and-lots-of-tomas-ledin/. 

Jean, Janae. “The Musical Bridge - Scandinavian Folk Music.” Perennial, perennial, 4 Nov. 2019, www.perennialmusicandarts.com/post/the-musical-bridge-scandinavian-folk-music. 

“Swedish Folk Music.” Folkworld #53: Music of Sweden, www.folkworld.eu/53/e/sweden.html. Accessed 26 Jan. 2024. 

“Swedish Traditional Music.” Swedish Traditional Music - Svensk Folkmusik,  www.norbeck.nu/swedtrad/. Accessed 26 Jan. 2024.