Music in Sweden 2 - Folk music
Folk musicians and their music (1)

 

Folk musicians and their music Peasant society had many musicians with a variety of instruments. These musicians were called "spelmän" (Sw. spelman; pl. spelmän), literally "playingmen". Their prime function was the accompaniment of pair-dances, but they also played at weddings, funerals and other ceremonies. "Spelmän" were as the name implies usually men, but female "spelmän" existed in some parts of Sweden. The most common instrument was the fiddle, but in the county of Uppland the "nyckelharpa" or keyed fiddle took the lead. The clarinet was also popular. The bagpipes and the shawm were at one time in use, but neither of these instruments has survived in living tradition. Many musicians made their own instruments, and form and construction could vary somewhat. Chromatic keyed fiddle.  From Jan Ling: Nyckelharpan Clog fiddle A wellknown local variation is the clog-fiddle, fashioned from a wooden shoe, which is native to Sweden's most southern county, Skåne (= Scania). Most "spelmän" were not full-time musicians: they worked as farm-hands, soldiers and such or had small farms. Full-time "spelmän" did, however, exist in Skåne for instance one function of the governor of the county was to approve the "spelman" chosen by the farmers for their district: he had the sole right to play dance-music in that district. Some "spelmän" also played the organ in church: such "spelmän" could often read music. "Spelmansböcker" – books in which those able to read music wrote down their tunes – began to appear towards the end of the 17th century. The "spelman" who could read music was, however, an exception: mostly they learned the music by ear, mostly from older musicians, as do young folk musicians of today.

 

Folk musicians and their music (1)
Music in Sweden 2 - Folk music