Results 1 to 13 of 13

Thread: Finnish music ideas

  1. #1
    Registered User Eric Platt's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    St. Paul, MN
    Posts
    2,039

    Default Finnish music ideas

    So, am now in a band that's playing traditional Finnish-American music. We're trying to concentrate on the standards, or at least good tunes.

    What I'm looking for are some suggestions for tunes that may not pop into my head immediately as a "standard". But are, or at least were popular folk tunes. Instrumental or vocal. For example, I ran across Tuusulan Polkka. The band leaders had forgotten about that one, and it was popular at one time.

    So, if anyone has suggestions, especially if they have a link to video/audio or sheet music, I'd appreciate it.

    Thanks.
    Brentrup Model 23, Boeh A5 #37, Gibson A Jr., Big Muddy M-11, Coombe Classical flattop, Strad-O-Lin
    https://www.facebook.com/LauluAika/
    https://www.lauluaika.com/
    https://www.facebook.com/Longtine-Am...14404553312723

  2. #2
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Sep 2015
    Location
    London, UK
    Posts
    44

  3. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to jeho2a For This Useful Post:


  4. #3
    String-Bending Heretic mandocrucian's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2002
    Location
    Virginia
    Posts
    3,210

    Default Re: Finnish music ideas

    The Finnish-American repertoire is pretty square compared to the stuff in Finland, like getting Irish tunes from The Irish Rovers vs. The Bothy Band. A lot of the more complicated stuff, the polskas and such, didn't seem to survive the emigration in dance hall repertoire.

    Accordionist Viola Turpainen was perhaps the leading Finnish-American performer in 1940-50's New York City and the northeast. Walter Erickson - the same for the Swedish Americans, though he also did some Finnish tunes. Both had recordings and their material are "standards" among those communities.

    But more recently...last 30 years
    Accordionist Richard Koski from Trumansburg, NY had a band called The Crumtown Ramblers the did an album called "Saturday Night Sauna". He also made a recording called "The Father Tunes" of stuff he learned from his accordionist dad. Another Finn American is Oren Tikkanen (Calumet MI) who had a duo with accordion player Al Reko and put out numerous tapes.

    But standards...
    Boy From Karelia/Karjalan Poikka
    Sakijärven Polkka
    Ison Talon Antti (Andy From the Big House)
    Emma https://www.mandolincafe.com/tab/emma.txt
    Villi Ruusu
    Metsäkukkia
    Kaakuuri
    Siltasaaren Sotiisi


    but if you're already in a band that is playing Finnish American music you probably have some familiarity with those.

    Niles Hokkanen

  5. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to mandocrucian For This Useful Post:


  6. #4
    Registered User harper's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    Texas
    Posts
    271

    Default Re: Finnish music ideas

    Charles Saksena published a lovely waltz “Tusen Sjöars Vals” a.k.a. “Tuhansien Järvien Valsii (Thousands of Lakes Waltz),” in his collection.

    Saksena, Charles. Fiddle Music from Northern Lands, Fiddle Music from Northern Lands: A collection of traditional tunes from Denmark, Finland, Norway, Orkney, Shetland, and Sweden, 2nd edition. Montgarrie, Aberdeehshire, Scotland: Catacol,

    I arrange it for 3 mandolins (or any treble instruments) with chords for guitar or accordion. It's in my Big Book for 2017. (Evelyn's Big Book for Mandolin Trio for 2017).

    Evelyn
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Tusen sjoars vals mandolins 3.pdf  
    Harper (My other mandolin is a harp)

  7. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to harper For This Useful Post:


  8. #5
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    St Paul, Minn
    Posts
    569

    Default Re: Finnish music ideas

    Eric, If you are not aware of him, look up another local guy named Ralph Tuttila...plays in a couple bands. One of which is "Finn Hall".

    http://www.nisswastamman.org/stamma/finnhall.html

  9. The following members say thank you to ajh for this post:


  10. #6
    Registered User Eric Platt's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    St. Paul, MN
    Posts
    2,039

    Default Re: Finnish music ideas

    Quote Originally Posted by ajh View Post
    Eric, If you are not aware of him, look up another local guy named Ralph Tuttila...plays in a couple bands. One of which is "Finn Hall".

    http://www.nisswastamman.org/stamma/finnhall.html
    Thanks. Ralph is the leader of the band. And he's the reason I'm playing mandolin instead of guitar full time. We're one of the other bands right now. And Al Reko is the one who formed Finn Hall. And have both the 2CD sets.

    As to polskas, while I play them in other Scandinavian music, not so much in Finnish. Although I do have Arto Jarvela's book on order where he found a Minnesota Accordion player who had a lot of polskas.

    Niles. Actually, there are a couple on your list that are not considered common here in Minnesota. Thank you for those suggestions.

    As to it being square, maybe, but there I like the fact this band is trying to preserve it. Llove the modern stuff, but would rather perform the older stuff. There are always new ways to look at things. Have also been looking at some of the northern Michigan tunes that Carl Rahkonen has preserved. He's another great source of this music.

    Just looking to help Ralph to expand the tune trove. Groups like Finn Hall have been playing music long enough that some of the older tunes are pretty much forgotten. Am trying to help find them again.

    Spent part of last Saturday sitting in on a Finnish Tango workshop and was trying to figure out mandolin backup to the accordion. That's another area we may start exploring as a group.
    Brentrup Model 23, Boeh A5 #37, Gibson A Jr., Big Muddy M-11, Coombe Classical flattop, Strad-O-Lin
    https://www.facebook.com/LauluAika/
    https://www.lauluaika.com/
    https://www.facebook.com/Longtine-Am...14404553312723

  11. The following members say thank you to Eric Platt for this post:

    ajh 

  12. #7
    String-Bending Heretic mandocrucian's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2002
    Location
    Virginia
    Posts
    3,210

    Default Re: Finnish music ideas

    As to it being square, maybe, but there I like the fact this band is trying to preserve it. Love the modern stuff, but would rather perform the older stuff.
    Actually, much of the material in the Finnish (Finland) performers' (JPP, Vaartiina, Tallari, Gjallarhorn, Maria Kalaniemi, Pirnales......and I could rattle off a dozen first-rate but now-defunct outfits - Koinurit, Primo, Ottopasuuna,...) is the OLD STUFF.

    I've got many of the same source collections that those Finn players have used, and the polskas predate the introduction (in the mid-late 1800s) of the polka, waltz and other newer dance forms, by 100+ years. And the runo melodies go even further back.

    The hambos, humpas, mazurkas, schottisches etc are dance hall music, as is the most recent "import", the tango. There's some good tunes amongst that scene, but it isn't "traditional" in the same way the tunes from the 1700's are.

    NH

  13. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to mandocrucian For This Useful Post:


  14. #8
    Registered User Eric Platt's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    St. Paul, MN
    Posts
    2,039

    Default Re: Finnish music ideas

    Niles,

    Very fair. I should have stated dance hall music, instead of traditional. Which for the US branch of Finnish Americans is traditional.

    As I have come to the Finnish American music scene late, I don't have the sourced like I have with American old time. Hence my asking for suggestions.

    Supposedly the best info on polska is Polskans Historua which is only available in Swedish.

    Guess I need to study faster & deeper.
    Brentrup Model 23, Boeh A5 #37, Gibson A Jr., Big Muddy M-11, Coombe Classical flattop, Strad-O-Lin
    https://www.facebook.com/LauluAika/
    https://www.lauluaika.com/
    https://www.facebook.com/Longtine-Am...14404553312723

  15. #9
    Registered User
    Join Date
    May 2017
    Location
    Maryland
    Posts
    34

    Default Re: Finnish music ideas

    I had some contact with Finnish Tunes on the mandolin, and even met Heikki Lahti at the Finnish Folk Festival one year. I still play "Aaltojen Laulu Valssi" as one of my regular tunes. I used to play Lokakuun Polkka and Sakkijarven Polkka - at least I still have my tab for them. If you like to explore minor keys - Finnish tunes are the place to look.

  16. The following members say thank you to Doug Goodhill for this post:


  17. #10
    Registered User Eric Platt's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    St. Paul, MN
    Posts
    2,039

    Default Re: Finnish music ideas

    Niles (and others) - thanks for the suggestions so far. Brought up Ison Talon Antti at practice on Friday night and our fiddler (and lead singer) immediately started singing it. It's a tune she heard growing up in Finland. Ralph Tuttila also provided us with some other tunes to start working on, including Penttilän sillalla. In G minor. Another tune are singer already knew.

    As for my own tunemongering, just received a copy of Arto Järvelä's book Frank Hietalan Nuottikirja. Polskas from a Finn who emigrated to Virginia, MN. These were tunes he heard and played growing up. Not only did he transcribe them (in 1942), in the 1960's he was recorded by a folklorist who captured all these tunes and many more.

    Still waiting on my copy of Fiddle Tunes from Northern Lands. Hopefully will be waiting for me after vacation.
    Brentrup Model 23, Boeh A5 #37, Gibson A Jr., Big Muddy M-11, Coombe Classical flattop, Strad-O-Lin
    https://www.facebook.com/LauluAika/
    https://www.lauluaika.com/
    https://www.facebook.com/Longtine-Am...14404553312723

  18. #11
    Ted Heinonen
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Duluth, Minnesota
    Posts
    62

    Default Re: Finnish music ideas

    A Finnish mandolin player, Seppo Sillanpää has published at least three mandolin books, Lamentarola, Akustin Polska, and an instructional book (in Finn) "Mandoliiniopas". Some of these books are out of print but if you contact Seppo at: sillanp(at)pp.phnet.fi he might be able to find you copies. The books contain many traditional Finnish tunes as well as some of his originals. I had replied to a similar thread in 2012 - some of the websites are gone now but Seppo is a member here so he might reply with info on the availability of his book. The ISBN numbers are: ISBN 951-9268-14-6 or ISSN 0355-9270. ebay might have copies. I have well worn copies I got when he did a workshop for my students here during FinnFest a good number of years ago here in Duluth.

  19. The following members say thank you to theinone for this post:


  20. #12
    Innocent Bystander JeffD's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    Upstate New York
    Posts
    24,807
    Blog Entries
    56
    A talent for trivializin' the momentous and complicatin' the obvious.

    The entire staff
    funny....

  21. The following members say thank you to JeffD for this post:


  22. #13
    Registered User Seppo's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Location
    Hollola Finland
    Posts
    74

    Default Re: Finnish music ideas

    Hello mandolin players who like tunes with Scandinavian, especially Finnish flavour! I have news for you!
    In this thread some people have mentioned my mandolin publications:
    Mandoliiniopas (1990) A mandolin guidebok with lots of trad tunes.
    Akustin Polska (1989) All material notated of my solo album Akustin Polska (POWCD 7) Power records
    Lamentarola (1990) All material notated of my solo album Lamentarola (POWCD10) Power records
    Duokirja (1997) Duets for mandolins or fiddles (notated).

    Last week I finally got finished the PDF versions of both Akustin Polska & Lamentarola.
    You can listen to both albums from YouTube here
    I am selling these PDF booklets via Paypal for $6 each.
    When you pay six dollars to my Paypal account (sillanp@gmail.com) and leave your email address, I'll send you your personal copy of the album you chose. And of course with $12 you'll get both.

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	Akustin_Polska_Cover.jpg 
Views:	16 
Size:	1.22 MB 
ID:	211970
    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	Akustin_Polska_titles.jpg 
Views:	24 
Size:	853.1 KB 
ID:	211971
    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	Lamentarola_CDcover.jpg 
Views:	16 
Size:	988.8 KB 
ID:	211972
    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	Lamentarola_CDBackcover.jpg 
Views:	21 
Size:	498.5 KB 
ID:	211973

  23. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to Seppo For This Useful Post:


Bookmarks

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •