Swedish Polkas And Hambo

[Randy Stein]

Last night I played at my monthly gig at Caboose Cafe. It was one of the better evenings: full house and people were engaged with my music and me. A woman in her late 80s came with a small entourage of family and as she was leaving came up to speak with me. She thanked me for the music and said she is Swedish and from a family of 9 children. All of them played some instrument to accompany their father who played accordion. They played mostly polkas and waltzes and used to be hired for a lot of the local dances. She herself loved the Hambo dances. We had a short conversation about music for hambo.

I do not play polkas and am intrigued by hambo and the music. I get a chance to attend some sessions at the various DC Folk Festivals that take place and to hear and watch but there doesn't seem to be a lot of people playing this style of music in my neck of the woods.

 

[SteveS]

Randy

While there are many Swedish polkas, I'm wondering if you might mean polskas (a totally different beast).

Hambo and polska are enigmatic.

Have you seen my Nordic music thread?

Edited August 19, 2016 by SteveS

[Steve Mansfield]

Swedish music is fantastic for EC, the tunes somehow sit really nicely under the fingers, and the unusual modal nature of many of the tunes gives the brain and fingers a real workout.

 

Loads of Swedish abcs available online, and there are a good few printed collections available as well.

[Randy Stein]

Thanks for correcting me Steve. I have followed your thread.

[bellowbelle]

It so happens that I am learning this one: http://www.8notes.com/scores/22923.asp --- Starkens Polska (Swedish Hambo) --- on my accordion, and I think I'll try it on my concertina too, and then add the foot bass.

 

I also found this one in ABC form, too, at abcnotation.com.

 

Years may go by before I actually understand what exactly is a hambo or a polska but....that doesn't matter I guess. As long as I can have some fun playing them.

[SteveS]

It so happens that I am learning this one: http://www.8notes.com/scores/22923.asp --- Starkens Polska (Swedish Hambo)

Nice tune - think I'll borrow it

 

Thanks for posting.

 

Not sure about hambo fom Norway though - I'm not aware of hambo being associated with Norway - usually Sweden.

[ceemonster]

Haven't heard of "polkas" in Swedish gammaldans, only polskas, largely a 3/4 time dance form. Love Swedish and other modal Scandinavian traditions, and agree that EC is wonderful for this music. You're aware of "Troll Road," Mark Gilman's recording of Swedish and other Scandinavian trad music on EC? I personally graze in the modal/modal-minor end of the Swedish pasture, rather than the hearty major-key oompah-ish end of the pasture. The haunting modal stuff is often from parts of Dalarna, and northward blurring into Norwegian, and Norwegian is also often very model. Rachel Wells Hall is another EC player who specializes in Scandinavian on EC; I believe much of her focus has been Norway.

[SteveS]

Haven't heard of "polkas" in Swedish gammaldans, only polskas, largely a 3/4 time dance form.

Quite the opposite in fact.

Polka is mostly likely to be found in gammaldans, and hardly ever polska.

Polska is associated with bygdedans which are more traditional or regional.

You may also find hambo in gammaldans.

Edited September 12, 2016 by SteveS

[DaveM]

What are gammaldans and bygdedans?

[SteveS]

What are gammaldans and bygdedans?

Good question!

 

gammaldans - is a gene of popular dances often played by bands featuring accordion, fiddle, bass, maybe drums - the dances tend to be things like foxtrot, jive, waltz, occasionally hambo, schottish, polka. It has its roots in popula dances nfrom around 1930s. Here is a link explaining gammaldans (in Swedish)

 

folkdans - these are the more specialised and often dances from specific villages or regions, often considered as traditional dances - so you might find the many varieties of polska along with waltz, schottish - occasionally hambo, polka - traditionally played on fiddles as solo or small groups, but other instruments like nyckelharpa, button accordion, clarinet, (or concertina in my case) do also occur.

Edited September 12, 2016 by SteveS