Swiss folk music is more of a collective imagination that includes Alphorn music, Ländler music, and yodeling. The most known musical instruments are “Schwyzerörgeli” (accordion), the violin, bass violin, clarinet, and also theAlphorn which is the typical music instrument that Switzerland is known for.
Yodelling is a form of singing that involves singing with repeated changes in pitch from the chest register to the head register without using words that mean anything. As described this way, yodelling is spread worldwide. It is especially in mountainous and inaccessible regions that natural yodelling communication forms have developed in order to communicate from one hill to the other or to bring in the cows. Although yodelling was probably being used back in the Stone Age, the choir singing of the yodelling songs only developed in the 19th century.
A music style that characterises Switzerland is yodelling (switching your voice between a natural low-pitch to a high-pitch of a falsetto), which originates in the Alps. It was used mainly by shepherds to communicate with each other while being in the mountains. Even though you might think that this style of music is outdated, there are stillyodelling festivals being held to this day.
Today the Swiss Yodeling Association keeps the practice alive, organizing competitions. Yodeling has evolved into songs that have lyrics mostly in German, some in French, and are performed in regional festivals and cantonal competitions. Vocal styles still vary a little from region to region.
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