Folk Music of Europe

What is Folk Music?

A term coined by Joann Herder, "Volkslied" which just referred to music of the people.

Instruments

Hammered Dulcimer - A trapezoidal instrument with strings across it that are hit with mallets.

Accordion - An Instrument developed in 1829 by Cyril Demian in Vienna. Early accordions were diatonic, but later the piano accordion became chromatic.

Piana - An instrument invented around the 1700's by Cristofori

Gusle (Gusla) - 1 Stringed fiddle, oft used in epics.

Gaida - A bagpipe type instrument found in Bulgaria and Macedonia.

Lute / Zither - These are two categories for stringed instruments the lutes have a resonating body with a protruding neck and arms. The Zither in contrast usually has a rectangular body with strings running the length.

Balalaika - A 3 stringed instrument with a triangular body that sounds similar to a mandalin, the name means to chatter.

Alphorn - Used by the swiss for signaling through the mountains.

Hurdy Gurdy - Mechinized fiddle found all across Europe, 2 melody strings and 4 other strings. You turn a crank and press levers for the music.

Volkslied - Music of the common people. Broadly accepted and easy to play.

The Ballad - A strophic piece of music that tells the story of one main incident.

The epic - A long drawn out account of a heroic figure.

Minnesingers - Entertainers, they were travailing troupes of

The Land of Music

Yodeling

Polka

Ganga

Parlando

Dance House Movement

Cimbalom

Asymetric meters

Bela Bartok

Mouth Bass Songs

Ivo Papazov

Johann Strauss

Bartolomeo Cristofori

Franz Liszt