View source for Traditional Nordic dance music

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'''Traditional Nordic dance music''' is a type of [[traditional music]] or [[folk music]] that once was common in the mainland part of the [[Nordic countries]] — [[Scandinavia]] plus [[Finland]]. The person who plays this kind of music might be called ''speleman'' (Swedish/Norwegian), ''[[spelman (music)|spelman]]'' (Swedish), ''spel(l)emann'' (Norwegian), ''pelimanni'' (Finnish) or ''spillemand'' (Danish). Finnish traditional dance music is often called ''pelimanni music'' in English, while there does not seem to exist a similar, widespread term for the corresponding music from the other countries. It is often more meaningful to distinguish between the traditional dance music from different regions than between music from the countries as such. Some concepts in the field can be defined as Norwegian or Finnish, but most are either common to all four countries or local. Besides the dance music tradition, all countries also have other traditions of folk music that are not shared to a similar extent.

Nordic folk dance music consists of various dance rhythms that do not originate in the Nordic countries but once were the fashion dances among the European nobility. With time these dances spread to common people, and in some cases they remained there long after the nobility had exchanged them for new fashionable dances. Many of these rhythms can also be found in other parts of Europe, and some of them have also been used in [[European classical music|classical music]].

The majority of the tunes are in [[minor key]]s. Traditionally, there were many tunes in [[key (music)|keys]] that can not be classified as either minor or major ([[Musical mode|Modes]]). Traces of this still exist, but most of that disappeared when the [[accordion]] became popular. The majority of the dances that go with this music are [[partner dance]]s, though exceptions do exist. Such exceptions include the [[minuet]]s that are common in some parts of [[Finland]] and that can also be found in parts of [[Sweden]], the solo-dance [[halling (dance)|halling]], generally considered typically [[Norway|Norwegian]] but also found in parts of Sweden, and the Finnish [[quadrille]] danced by several couples in formation. The most common dance rhythm is the [[polska (dance)|polska]]. It is in 3/4 (three [[beat (music)|beat]]s to the [[bar (music)|bar]]). In the most common polskas, the third beat is accentuated as well as the first. There are many local versions of the polska rhythm, and generally local variations of the accompanying dance correspond to these differences, though many of these local dances have disappeared. The [[schottische]], also known as reinlender, [[polka]] and [[waltz]] are other common dance rhythms. In addition there are many other more uncommon dance rhythms (e.g. the [[Country dance|anglais]]), despite a small number of surviving tunes. 

The most typical instrument is the [[fiddle]]. In most cases normal violins are used, but there are exceptions such as the [[hardingfele]], used in parts of [[Norway]], which has a set of [[sympathetic string]]s in addition to the normal four strings. Another unique instrument, the [[nyckelharpa]] (keyed fiddle), probably once existed in a large part of [[Europe]], but survived until modern times only in Sweden. Other instruments that were used traditionally were simple [[clarinet]]s, and later [[accordion]]s. The Swedish [[säckpipa]] is, as well as older types of nyckelharpa and [[hurdy-gurdy]], a link to the older traditions of [[drone music]]. Contemporary Nordic traditional dance musicians might also use other less traditional instruments, as well as writing new tunes in the old style.

== See also ==
* [[Fiddle]]
* [[Hardanger fiddle]]
* [[Nyckelharpa]]
* [[Danish traditional music]]

==References==
*Goertzen, Chris. 1997. ''Fiddling for Norway: Revival and identity.'' Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
*Hopkins, Pandora. 1986. ''Aural thinking in Norway: Performance and communication with the ''hardingfele. NY: Human Sciences Press.

{{Norwegian folk music}}
{{Swedish folk music}}
{{Finnish folk music}}
{{Danish folk music}}
{{Icelandic folk music}}

[[Category:Nordic folk music]]
[[Category:Nordic folk dances| ]]