modern/trad. – Band 1

Foreword

Folk dance music – is it still up to date? Hasn’t the folk dance movement been outdated and antiquated for at least 60 years? Only kept alive by individual traditional costume groups and associations of displaced persons?

We completely disagree! In addition to today’s individual dance forms at techno parties and discos and standard dance, Latin, merengue, salsa, samba etc., there is a steadily growing number of dance enthusiasts who meet at folk dance festivals. Depending on the regional and stylistic characteristics, it is also referred to as Bal Folk, Fest-Noz, Tanzhaus, Boombal, Folkbal, Organic Dancefloor etc.

The music for these dances is preferably played on instruments long thought to be extinct, such as bagpipes and hurdy-gurdy, but also on accordion, violin, flutes and guitar. The use of drone instruments (hurdy-gurdy or bagpipes), whose renaissance originated primarily in France, led to the formation of a music and dance scene in western Germany in particular, which is very “Francophile” in character. Elsewhere, the influences came from Hungary, Poland or Sweden in addition to their own regional traditions.

In the early days of the folk dance movement, there were relatively few sheet music publications and recordings. The specific instruments were difficult to obtain, usually quite expensive and their quality was often a matter of luck. Weekend courses and workshops provided an opportunity to exchange ideas with like-minded people and improve musical skills. The only other option was to study at home, listening to my favorite cassettes and records in the hope of finally getting the one or other ornamentation right.

We musicians now have it easier: instrument makers have achieved incredible things. At no other time in history have so many musicians played the hurdy-gurdy; bagpipes, long thought to be confined to Scotland, have been rediscovered all over Europe, newly developed from the few surviving original instruments; field researchers are scouring the last corners of Europe in search of contemporary witnesses and sound documents from the pre-war era in order to document and preserve knowledge of the old dance music.

The digital networking of musicians with each other ultimately offers the possibility of the optimal exchange of dance pieces, new compositions etc. in midi format, ABC, in sheet music form or as a video file.

But what is actually played at a Bal Folk? How old are the melodies really? Where did they originally come from, who composed them? How do we know today how the musicians accompanied the melodies back then?

There are certainly dances whose origins can be traced back to the Middle Ages and which are still played and danced in a similar way today. However, most of the melodies are more recent, their roots lie in the 19th century. The composers are largely unknown to us, and similar melodies appear in different regions of Europe at the same time. We refer to these pieces as traditional dance music. Based on these compositions, at the beginning of the 70s the 20th century in France, Germany, England, etc. These groups have shaped the musical style of bal folk to this day. New “tunes” were composed that sound as if they come from a bygone era.

And yet new elements are added, the harmonies become more complex. As the quality of the instruments improves, the “degree of difficulty” of the compositions increases. The tonal range is extended upwards, and the increasing key technique of the wind instruments enables chromatic playing. The melodies have long since ceased to sound only Breton, French, Irish/English, German, Swedish … Mixed forms are created and people try out what fits together. Oriental percussion, reggae grooves, brass sections with trombone and saxophone combine with the sounds of bagpipes and hurdy-gurdies, electrically amplified and distorted guitars and basses are added.

Despite all the experimentation, the music remains one thing: dance music with a predetermined form. The compositions are clear in scope. Usually divided into A and B sections with repetition, they resemble the traditional melodies of the 19th century. While jazz focuses on improvisation over a harmonic framework, in traditional dance music the melodies remain recognizable, but are varied, embellished and played around, ideally differently in each round. After three to four repetitions, you then switch to a new melody. (If several melodies are put together and played one after the other, this is referred to as a “set”). At this point it is possible to change keys, dynamics, etc. Different harmonies in the respective repetitions, rhythmic variations, bass runs and drones are just some of the stylistic devices that can be used to create a varied rhythmic and harmonic foundation that is so important for dance music.

To record all these variations in notes would come close to a symphonic score. As a folk musician, you should work freely with the notation and search creatively for your own interpretations. This is not only legitimate, but also desirable! The only limits to this lie in the technical mastery of their own instrument and in ensemble playing. Despite this, a melody should not be overloaded with ornaments, variations and embellishments. Less is sometimes more, and the dancers are grateful if they can still recognize the rhythm. You should also not be tempted to play a dance that you have mastered too quickly and possibly for too long. A watchful eye on the dancers often works wonders! This requires that you don’t just hide behind the notes and keep at least one eye on the dance floor.

In many cultures, the pieces were handed down in unison. Even the new compositions are rarely completely arranged. To refine your own style and achieve an “authentic sound”, it is advisable to study recordings by groups that specialize in traditional dance music. Simply playing the sheet music published in the book is no guarantee of good dance music that gets your feet moving. But that’s exactly where it should go!

Many beautiful melodies have reached us, and it was not always easy for us to make a selection (and thus also to sift them out). Many thanks to all the composers who have made their melodies available to us and thus made this book possible!

We would also like to thank Jürgen Treyz for the pleasant working atmosphere in the “artes” recording studio during the recording of the melodies.

We hope you enjoy this work

Christoph Pelgen and Johannes Mayr
october 2008