What instruments and types of music do you teach?
We offer daily music classes in traditional Swedish or Norwegian fiddle, Hardanger fiddle (“hardingfele”), nyckelharpa (the Swedish keyed fiddle), ensemble playing, harmony, playing for dancing, and singing.
How big are your music classes?
Our music class sizes vary from year to year and instrument to instrument. Some years, at some levels, you may be only one a a few students with a teacher, and get a week of semi-private instruction. Our fiddle classes and our Gammaldans Band are our largest classes.
I'd like to try the hardingfele/nyckelharpa/fiddle, but don't have access to one. Are there loaner instruments I can use at camp?
We have a limited number of hardingfeles and nyckelharpas that we have available for use at camp by prior arrangement. We ask campers who are interested in starting to play the fiddle to rent one from their local violin shop prior to camp.
I do other types of fiddling. Will I be able to learn this type?
We don't see why not.
Can I bring my accordion/cello/other non-traditional instrument?
Sure! The Gammaldans Band welcomes all instruments. It is important to check with the music teacher about a non-traditional instrument in the other classes. We have a short contra dance during our "American" evening. You may be able to play your non-traditional instrument in the contra band.
I've never learned by ear before. How does that work?
Learning by ear takes time, patience, and practice. Our camp musicians teach tunes one phrase at a time, with lots of repetition to capture the melody, ornaments, bowing, and more. This is the traditional way that Swedish and Norwegian folk tunes are passed from one fiddler to the next.
I don't read sheet music. Is that a problem?
Not at all. Our fiddle, hardingfele and nyckelharpa classes are taught by ear. Our music teachers provide sheet music for most tunes that they teach, but this is strictly for reference, outside of class. Our Gammaldans Band does use sheet music, but if you have a quick ear, you may play with them without needing to read. Our singing classes use sheet music, often with just the lyrics.
I'm not particularly interested in learning new tunes. Are there opportunities just to jam with one another?
Sure. We have organized jams every evening, with staff musicians in the lead. You also have all day to find other musicians to jam with.
Are there opportunities to play music for dancing?
Yes, there are a few opportunities to play at the evening dance parties. We also offer a daily class called "Playing for Dancing" that gives musicians an opportunity to polish a tune for danceability.
Can you provide me with a sample schedule?
This was our schedule in 2024.
| 8:00-9:00 | Breakfast | |||||
| 9:00-10:00 | Dance Basics | Swedish Fiddle 3 | Nyckelharpa 2 | Hardingfele 2/3 | Singing | |
| 10:15-11:15 | Norwegian Dance | Swedish Fiddle 2 | Nyckelharpa 3 | Harmony | ||
| 11:30-12:30 | Swedish Dance | Norwegian Fiddle 2 | Hardingfelelag | |||
| 12:30-1:30 | Lunch | |||||
| 1:45-2:45 | Dance Basics | Norwegian Fiddle 3 | Nyckelharpa 1 | Harmony | ||
| 3:00-4:00 | Dance* | Playing for dancing | Craft | |||
| 4:15-5:15 | Fiddle 1 | Hardingfele 1 | Gammaldans Band | Singing | ||
| 5:00-6:00 | Happy hour | |||||
| 6:00-7:00 | Dinner | |||||
| 7:15-8:00 | After-dinner program* | |||||
| 8:00- | Evening dance party | Evening jams | * = varied by day |