3 traditional Swiss musical instruments

It's lightweight, easy to transport and works equally well as a solo instrument or accompaniment: two interesting advantages of the Schwyz accordion (also known as the "Schwyz accordion"). schwyzerörgeli or Schwyz). The right hand plays the melody, the left hand accompanies, and the keyboards generally have three rows for the melody and two for the bass. Dominik Flückiger, musician, composer and music teacher, has been playing the Schwyz accordion since childhood and, in addition to his concert activities, teaches it at three music schools (in Stans, Rottal and Lucerne).

The Schwyz accordion: a trendy instrument?

"We've been hearing for years that the Schwyz accordion is booming - but I don't think it ever has been," he points out. He does, however, observe a change in young people's attitudes towards Schwyz and folk music: "As a child, I often had to justify playing the Schwyz accordion to myself. schwyzerörgeliToday, it's considered cool." He explains this change by the fact that musical styles now tend to mix, and that more and more musicians are also making modern music with traditional instruments - like himself, who not only plays ländler but also likes to explore the limits of the instrument in all styles.    

The tools needed to participate in Stubete

In music schools, he mainly teaches children, the aim being for pupils to learn the most common meters and keys of Swiss folk music and to be able to participate spontaneously in a musical performance. Stubete (meeting of musicians). "With my students, I cultivate both traditional and modern folk music," he explains. This is why, rather than pop music, he prefers to include modern folk music in his repertoire, incorporating influences from pop, jazz and international folk music.

Anyone can learn to yodel

For years, yodeler Silvia Rymann has also been regularly asked whether interest in yodelling has increased. "This question shows that interest has always been there, which obviously makes me very happy," she says. She teaches every winter semester at the Neuenkirch music school, when she's not touring or performing. "Anyone who can sing well can also learn to yodel", she points out, "but it takes time, perseverance and a bit of talent to reproduce the transition from chest to head voice, or the movements of the tongue, in a careful and perfectly mastered way." Like the alphorn, yodelling is said to have developed for communication purposes, and was used to send information or news of the shepherd's health from one alp to another. "We can't prove it at 100%," says Silvia Rymann with a smile, "but it's still a nice story!". What is proven, however, is that yodelling is not only widespread in Switzerland, but throughout the Alpine region, with regional differences in performance technique.

Yodelling Taylor Swift songs - why not?

Silvia Rymann teaches adults as well as children, and is regularly impressed by the speed with which younger students can put into practice what they learn. Her repertoire includes both classical pieces and new compositions. She can also imagine herself arranging pop songs for yodellers. "I'm very open about it. If young people want to sing a Taylor Swift song and integrate a yodel, why not? She believes it's important to experiment, but at the same time she finds it very hard to get her head around it.  that classic yodelling songs are so wonderfully timeless that they should be preserved as they are. She also likes to sing non-yodelling tunes from time to time, and listens to a lot of other music. But in the end, she admits she's mostly focused on yodelling.

Alphorn: simple yet difficult

In the list of traditional Swiss instruments, the alphorn is not to be missed. "It's simply a wonderful instrument," says Valentin Faivre, who teaches it to eight adult students at the Neuchâtel Conservatory of Music (CMNE). "The sound is pure, rich in natural harmonics and derived from a simple wooden tube". But it's precisely its simplicity that makes it difficult to play. The technique is certainly similar to that of other brass instruments, the family to which it belongs, but the challenge lies in the fact that all sounds must be produced exclusively by mouth and air pressure. The alphorn can only play natural harmonics, which necessarily limits the repertoire - but on the other hand, even beginners are quickly able to improvise.

The alphorn at Creux-du-Van

"Playing the horn is like yoga," says one of Valentine Faivre's students. "It's contemplative, you're in touch with the environment and nature. It conveys a sense of peace, contentment and calm, which is restorative in these times." Another student recalls the day when, at the age of six, standing next to his grandfather at Creux-du-Van, he heard the alphorn being played for the first time in his life: "It's a moment I'll never forget!" He hopes soon to be sufficiently advanced to be able to play it in the wild and give pleasure to others.