Gånglåt från Torsåker

This little walking tune is from Torsåker, a little village in the Ovansjö district of the province of Gästrikland.   It is known to have been played by a great fiddler from there, called Hammarbergs-Hans.

   It is called a gånglåt, or walking tune, and when played at a relatively brisk pace is good for informal marching.   Played a little slower, and with solemnity, it makes a great bridal march, too.

I learned this tune from a wonderful fiddler from Storvik, near Torsåker.    Stig Sjödin was his name, and he was a third-generation fiddler, extremely versed in the music and traditions of Gästrikland.   Fiddle was his primary instrument, but he was also an excellent nyckelharpa player.

Here is a link to a YouTube video of this tune being played by a couple of musicians from the far north of Sweden.   They play it at a brisk pace, and with guitar and tenor saxophone instead of the traditional fiddle.

A video of me playing the Gånglåt från Torsåker