ABSTRACT
A common way to describe stylistic differences within Sweden is to speak of "musical dialects," as if musical styles were direct counterparts to linguistic dialects. Another common way to divide Sweden, especially among folk musicians, is based on the character and distribution of instrumental tunes for the polska, a dance in 3/4 time, known in Sweden from the late 1500s and most popular before the early twentieth century. Swedish folk music is a composite of many heterogeneous styles and genres, accumulated for centuries. These traditions, genres, forms, and styles seem homogeneous in comparison to today's musical diversity. In the Middle Ages, Swedish musical culture was based on instruments found in other parts of Europe: the hummel, the mungiga, the spelpipa, the sackpipa, the vevlira, the nyckelharpa, and the fiddle. Music in Sweden was formerly transmitted by ear, except among a small group of professional musicians, and later by middle-class urban people who had access to musical education.
