Styles in folk music
Folk music is Dance music
In earlier times folk music was 'the music' in the villages. There was nothing else. Whatever was played by the musicans, the people could dance to - and vice versa. Folk music with instruments, therefore, was always with few exceptions dance music. Today it is often presented in concerts, for listening, on the stage at the 'musican meeting', at the “Adventsingen”, in the church etc.. But even at such occasions, one should still feel the dance character of the individual pieces.
One can learn good style
In the alpine region there are diverse styles of folk music handed down. One hears styles influenced by the landscape, more frequently styles are formed by outstanding personalities. Some folk musicians orient themselves to very specific local traditions, and good examples, or they look for connections to classical music or to jazz and blues.
Where there are still regional peculiarities, it is always advisable to retain and develop these, to orient oneself to ways of playing that were handed down, to authentic musicians, or to take up a style linked to a landscape.
However this never means to copy a well founded model. To copy everything in every detail, without one’s own additions, results in, at best, a bad copy. And then the copy can never be as good as the original. Therefore each musician or each group should develop his or their own style. They should select which kind fits them best from the abundance of possibilities. This style can certainly change with time. With advanced skills and experience it can mature. It is only important that the quality is there, and that the music is well played.
Tension and swing is important.
[Deutsche Version]
