Natural yodeling and yodel songs

Natural yodelling and yodel songs are widely considered to be Switzerland’s representative forms of singing. Around 20,000 people yodel in Switzerland, in traditional costume or everyday clothes, mostly in choirs, sometimes in smaller groups or alone. Today's yodelling tradition is influenced to a large extent by the vocal aesthetics of the 19th century. In the 20th century, multi-voiced yodelling songs were created, which are widely used. These are spilt into two parts: strophic text in the first part and yodelling on syllables in the second part. Natural yodelling traditions – those sung exclusively on syllables – are characterised by regionally differentiated sound ideals. Thus, differences can be heard between the "Entlebucher Jutz", the "Berner Naturjutz" or the "Juiz" in Ob- and Nidwalden, the "Zäuerli" and "Ruggusserli" in Appenzell and the "Johlen" in the Toggenburg. Of particular note, the "Juuz" of the Muota Valley (Muotatal) uses tones that are outside the equal temperament. The Federal Yodelling Association, founded in 1910, is committed to the spread and continuous promotion of yodel singing in Switzerland.


Detailed description


Category


Canton

Publications

Paul Am Acher: Ruedi Rymann und der Schacherseppli - Jodler, Komponist, Dichter, Schwinger und Wildhüter. Bettlach, 2002

Raymond Ammann: Der Jodler in Tirol. In: Einen Jodler hör i gern: studentische Feldforschungsberichte über den Wandel der Tiroler Jodlers zu Beginn des 21. Jahrhunderts, ed. Raymond Ammann, Innsbruck, 2016, p. 9-34

Max Peter Baumann: Musikfolklore und Musikfolklorismus - eine ethnomusikologische Untersuchung zum Funktionswandel des Jodels. Winterthur, 1976

Eidgenössischer Jodlerverband (Ed.): Lebendiges Schweizer Brauchtum, 1910-2010. Bremgarten, 2010

Robert-Fellmann Stiftung (Ed.): Robert Fellmann, 1885-1951: ein Leben für das Jodellied. Baar, 2001

Heinrich J. Leuthold: Der Naturjodel in der Schweiz. Wesen, Ent-stehung, Charakteristik, Verbreitung. Altdorf, 1981

Joe Manser (Ed.): Appenzellische Volksmusik. Herisau, 2010

Bart Plantenga: Yodel-Ay-Ee-Oooo: The Secret History of Yodel-ing Around the World. New York, 2004

Nadja Räss, Franziska Wigger et al.: Jodel - Theorie & Praxis. Altdorf, 2010

Dieter Ringli: Jodelgesang: Wenn die Tradition zum Trend wird. In: Musikszene Schweiz, ed. Christoph Merki. Zürich, 2009

Simon Wascher: Das Wort Jodel 1696-1796 in Belegstellen aus Digitalisaten. In: Jahrbuch des österreichischen Volksliedwerkes 2016, p. 138-151

Bernard Weber, Martin Schilt: Die Wiesenberger. No Business like Show Business (Film). Luzern, 2012

Yannick Wey, Andrea Kammermann, Raymond Ammann: Naturjo-del und Naturtonreihe - eine gemeinsame Musikästhetik des Alp-horns und des Jodels? In: Bulletin GVS/CH-EM 2017/18, p. 6-13

Hugo Zemp: A Swiss yodelling series: «Jüüzli» of the Muotatal (4 films). Watertown, 2012 (first edition 1986-87)

Keywords

Contact

Eidgenössischer Jodlerverband EJV
E-Mail

Roothuus Gonten
Zentrum für Appenzeller und Toggenburger Volksmusik
E-Mail

Print contact

https://www.lebendige-traditionen.ch/content/tradition/en/home/traditions/naturjodel-und-jodellied.html