Friday 27 December 2019

Contrarello

Hello!
This week it's time for the Medieval Contra set. It's a set of three tunes that Jonny wrote in a medieval style to contra dance to. This first tune is sort of a march, but with bounce. It's not a tricky tune. We recorded it with the Sienaharpa playing the melody, but decided that it was a better track with just normal nyckelharpa - but I have also included a version with me playing it on the Siena too for good measure.
Enjoy!
:))
Vicki


Friday 6 December 2019

We Wish You a Merry Christmas

Hello!
It's December and so it's time for some seasonal video blogs! This week we have We Wish You a Merry Christmas. Without the double stops it's a nice and simple tune. Add the double stops in for something a little more challenging.
Enjoy!
:))
Vicki
PS If you are wondering about the new album - we didn't make the goal of New Years Eve, but the recording is finished and it's in the mixing phase.



Friday 18 October 2019

Polkette

Hello!
It's another silverbasharpa tune this week. A polkette. I play it quite steadily in the video. It's quite a jolly little tune, so have fun with it!
:))
Vicki

Friday 4 October 2019

Kalle Ågrens Vals

Hello!
I learnt this tune from the playing of Lars Wahlund. I'm on a mission to learn lots and lots of silverbasharpa tunes. This tune was taught to me as being written by Kalle Ågren, who was the original owner of my silverbasharpa, it feels like an honour to be playing this tune on this instrument! (The tune does sound a bit like another tune that I don't think was written by Kalle, so maybe it should really just be after rather than by? If I'm corrected I'll update this page!!)
Enjoy!
:))
Vicki


PS I've been trying to reply to the comment below, but it doesn't seem to appear. Because I think my reply is important I'll copy it here until I can work out why it's not showing up.

My reply to Unknown in the comments:
No offence taken. The video you quote was one of the sources I used to learn the tune. I also learnt it from a gentlemen, who learnt it from Kalle. I think the major difference would be that I'm playing it on a silverbasharpa and not a modern three row chromatic and there aren't accordions bashing out their oom-pah underneath. I also used a video of Kalle partially playing a tune that is really, really similar - https://youtu.be/0Rr24BdYHUk
I would really love to hear your version of playing the tune. Unfortunately you've come up as unknown, so I don't know if you'll see my reply. Did you hear Kalle himself playing the tune? It would have been lovely on that video clip I posted if Kalle had been playing the silverbas I now have (which was his), but you can see quite clearly he's not. :)

Friday 27 September 2019

Fätemyrsvalsen

Hello!
It's time for a silverbasharpa tune. This is tune I got from the playing of Lars Wahlund, the gentleman that I bought this lovely silverbasharpa from.
Thank you Lars!
:))
Vicki

Friday 13 September 2019

Brudmarsch efter Täpp Erik Andersson

Hello!
It's the second Moraharpa tune and it's another tune I learnt from the amazing Anders Norrude. I highly recommend getting the album Nyckelharpa Nu och Då! I had a request for this tune a while back and under a different title from one of the Hedingarna albums. There it's called Täppmarschen. Täpp Erik Andersson himself was from Noret in Mora and was born in 1872.
When I taught this at Halsway it was remarked that it was quite like Eric Sahlström's Karolinermarschen - but as that was written in 1979 there's no doubt as to which came first. They're both great tunes.
Enjoy!
:))
Vicki

Friday 19 July 2019

Barham Down

Hello!
It's time for a Playford tune again, we've not had one for a few weeks. This one is Barham Down and is one of my favourites! Not too tricky it goes up to a high G, but falls under the fingers very nicely. Enjoy!
:))
Vicki

Friday 31 May 2019

Slängpolska (efter Calle Svankvist)

Hello!
It's a slängpolska this week. Again most definitely a silverbasharpa tune! Watch out for the extra beats. If you're on a silverbas, just give them a really good swipe and make it swing!
:)
Vicki

Friday 26 April 2019

Långsammapolskan

Hello!
We've just released a brand new album called Twelve Months & A Day and I thought I'd should teach some of the tunes from the album. Quite a few of the tunes are already #tunefridays, but this one isn't! I actually play it on my fiddleharpa on the album because of the tunes in the set, but it's gorgeous on the normal harpa and also the kontrabasharpa tuned with an A drone. I'll put all the videos that we've shot about this tune on this blog too!
Enjoy!
:))
Vicki











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