David and Karin Code’s passion for Norwegian folk music began when they went to a dance.
It was the 1980s, and both were studying classical music in Illinois. Eventually they tracked down the instruments, learned the language, studied with performers in Norway and formed the group Norse Code. (Usually it's a duo, but sometimes their children play as well).
The Kalamazoo-based Codes will give a concert Wednesday at New Year’s Fest. Unless you travel to Norway regularly, you might want to try to catch them then. It’s their first local concert in about five years.
Karin and David Code told WMUK about Norwegian folk music’s distinctive sound.
On one of the tradition’s key instruments, the Hardanger fiddle
Karin Code: The Hardanger fiddle has nine strings usually, four on the top like a regular violin and then these under-strings, or sympathetic strings that run underneath the bridge and are tuned to various pitches - they act as a drone, so while you’re playing the top notes.
It’s a lot like the baroque viola d’amore, or if your listeners are familiar with the sitar from India, that also has sympathetic strings. So it gives a very lush, full sound.
David Code: It looks different than a regular violin. They’re beautiful. They all have carved dragons’ heads on the top, and there’s inlaid mother of pearl and sort of inked tattoo designs of flowers and things like that.
On the elements of the Norwegian folk music sound
Karin Code: Half of it is just the instruments themselves. But then there’s different elements, there’s the unique scale that Norwegian folk music uses; some people call it the natural scale because it is based on the overtone series. Jazz scales also use these unique notes – they’re also called blue tones or blue notes.
We use some asymmetrical meters, things that aren’t easy to jog to or exercise to but they’re based on dances - very unique, indigenous dances.
David Code: As Karin was saying, most of it really comes out of dance out of these particular types of dances that they have in Norway and the music that accompanies that. Or from singing shepherds in the mountains, lullabies and things like that.
Karin Code: Norway also borrowed from central Europe and other areas of Europe in the 1800s. They borrowed dances like the waltz, the polka, the shadish. So those are extremely accessible and recognizable.
So it’s kind of a blend of the more old music that you’ll hear and then also this newer, quote newer – you know, from the 1800s, the polkas and the waltzes so, it’s got a unique blend of all those types.
