Harmonium - Nordic Folk Music

Nordic Folk Music

Harmonium played a significant part in the new rise of Nordic folk music, especially in Finland. In the late 1970s, a harmonium could be found in most schools where the bands met, and it became natural for the bands to include a harmonium in their setup. A typical folk band then—particularly in Western Finland—consisted of violin(s), double-bass and harmonium. There was a practical limitation that prevented playing harmonium and accordion in the same band: harmoniums were tuned to 438 Hz, while accordions were tuned to 442 Hz.

Some key harmonium players in the new rise of Nordic folk have been Timo Alakotila and Milla Viljamaa.