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Thread: Swedish folk on mandolin

  1. #1
    Registered User Martin Jonas's Avatar
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    Default Swedish folk on mandolin

    Here are some Swedish folk tunes I've just discovered -- these arrangements are by the Japanese folk flutist "hatao", from his site at celtnofue.com. I have long been a fan of hatao's arrangements of Irish and English tunes, but have only just come across his more recent Scandinavian arrangements. Lots of good stuff at his site, but it's a bit difficult to locate all the sheet music as the site is Japanese-only and there is no single link site to all the PDF arrangements.

    I've recorded two of hatao's arrangements over the weekend, and expect to add a few more as I explore these tunes. I've been using my French "Gelas" mandolin for both of these, because of its ancient and eery tone which works well for the other-wordly character of Swedish music.

    1) "Hårgalåten" (or "Horgalåten")

    This is a traditional Swedish dance tune, associated with the Swedish folk tale of Hårga, in which the devil disguides himself as a fiddler playing a tune that causes the young folk of the village Hårga to dance up the Hårgaberget mountain and to their death. This tune is used to dance the Hambo, and to accompany a folk song retelling the legend.

    This arrangement is by hatao, from his site at:

    https://celtnofue.com/media/files/score/Horgalaten.pdf

    Played on two mandolins and tenor guitar.

    Réné Gerôme "Gelas" mandolin
    Mid-Missouri M-0W mandolin
    Vintage Viaten tenor guitar



    2) Eric Sahlström (1912-1986): Andakten

    This is a contemplative tune by the Swedish nickelharpa player and luthier Eric Sahlström. My recording is based on hatao's arrangement for two recorders:

    https://celtnofue.com/media/files/sc...2recorders.pdf

    I have adapted this arrangement for two mandolins and tenor guitar.

    1890s Umberto Ceccherini mandolin
    Réné Gerôme "Gelas" mandolin
    Vintage Viaten tenor guitar



    Martin

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  3. #2

    Default Re: Swedish folk on mandolin

    Nice work, Martin. It's always a pleasure to hear something a little different on mandolin to remind us that it is so much more than just a bluegrass instrument.

  4. #3
    Registered User Martin Jonas's Avatar
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    Default Re: Swedish folk on mandolin

    Thanks, Ron! These Scandinavian tunes are fun, and there are lots of good harmony arrangements out there on various sites.

    Here are another two, this time recorded on my 1921 A-jr paddlehead for a rather different mandolin tone. Both tunes are trios of two mandolin parts with tenor guitar backing:

    1921 Gibson Ajr mandolin (x2)
    Vintage Viaten tenor guitar

    1) "Ringländer-Halling"

    This is a folk dance tune from Norway, used to dance the Hallingdans, a rather acrobatic dance from the Valdres and Hallingdal districts of Norway. The music is a form of the schottis.

    This particular tune was also recorded by Ale Möller on his 1991 album Härjedalspipan (Ale playing flute, not his mandola), but my own recording is based on a duo arrangement by Hidenori Omori (via hatao's site):

    https://celtnofue.com/media/files/sc...Ringlander.pdf



    2) "A Swedish Tune"

    This is a traditional Swedish folk tune in 3/4 time, but I don't know its name -- it's from a duet arrangement again by Hidenori Omori (via hatao's site), who simply calls it "A Swedish Tune":

    https://celtnofue.com/media/files/sc...edish_Tune.pdf



    Martin

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    Registered User Martin Jonas's Avatar
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    Default Re: Swedish folk on mandolin

    Benny Andersson & Björn Ulvaeus: "Födelsedagsvals till Mona" (Birthday Waltz for Mona)

    This happy waltz was written by none other than ABBA's Björn and Benny -- it's originally from Benny Andersson's debut solo album "Klinga mina klockor" (1987) and there are many Youtube clips of Benny's live performances of this tune with his various bands since then.

    My mandolin cover version is based on an arrangement for two fiddles by Hidenori Omori, which can be found at his site:

    http://omorihidenori.com/Fiddler_Hid...s/JFDA60th.pdf

    I have recorded it as a trio of two mandolins with tenor guitar accompaniment:

    1921 Gibson Ajr mandolin (x2)
    Vintage Viaten tenor guitar



    Martin

  7. #5
    ♪☮♫ Roll away the dew ♪☮♫ Dan Krhla's Avatar
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    Default Re: Swedish folk on mandolin

    Martin, these were great. Thanks for sharing!
    do good things

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  9. #6
    Registered User Martin Jonas's Avatar
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    Default Re: Swedish folk on mandolin

    Thanks, Dan!

    Here is another one from the same source:

    Vals efter Verner Trondsson

    This is a Swedish waltz which I've learned from the arrangement by Hidenori Omori, via hatao's site at:

    https://celtnofue.com/media/files/sc..._Trondsson.pdf

    The only other source I can find for this tune is an album by Göran Månsson (a Swedish musician with links to Japan), and I suspect he has written it -- if so, credit to him!

    I have recorded this tune as a duet of two mandolins (a vintage Italian bowlback, double-tracked), with arpeggio tenor guitar backing. It's a delicate little tune and I've tried to play with a soft light touch.

    1890s Umberto Ceccherini mandolin (x2)
    Ozark tenor guitar

    Artwork by Anders Zorn



    Martin

  10. #7
    Registered User JH Murray's Avatar
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    Default Re: Swedish folk on mandolin

    I never thought I would hear ABBA played on this site. Fun!

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  12. #8
    Registered User Martin Jonas's Avatar
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    Default Re: Swedish folk on mandolin

    Schottis från Haverö

    This is one of the more popular Swedish dance tunes, also widely played as a session tune outside Sweden. My recording on two mandolins with tenor guitar backing is based on an arrangement by hatao:

    https://celtnofue.com/media/files/sc...ran_havero.pdf

    1915 Luigi Embergher mandolin (x2)
    Ozark tenor guitar



    Martin

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  14. #9
    Registered User Martin Jonas's Avatar
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    Default Re: Swedish folk on mandolin

    Schottis från Idre

    This is another popular Swedish dance tune. My recording on two mandolins with tenor guitar backing is based on an arrangement by Hidenori Omori, via hatao:

    https://celtnofue.com/media/files/sc..._fran_Idre.pdf

    Mid-Missouri M-0W mandolin
    1915 Luigi Embergher mandolin
    Ozark tenor guitar



    Martin

  15. #10
    Plinkity,Plinkity Hillsdale Leroy's Avatar
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    Default Re: Swedish folk on mandolin

    Very nicely done my friend. Thanks for sharing these.
    Because mine has eight, does that make it twice as cool as a ukulele?

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