Nordiske Folkesange 1

From the preface:

The aim of the publication of these four-handed piano compositions is to fill a void within the sphere of sight-reading
(and almost sight-reading) at the beginnerand intermediate level. These three volumes together contain 36 Nordic folk songs from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland and the
Faroe Islands. The selection is based first and foremost on their being well suited to theinstrumental expressive
possibilities of the piano, and being good representatives of the rich and atmospheric Nordic musical heritage.
When one practises sight-reading on one’s own it is tempting to stop asonegoes along, because the desire to play
the correct notes is often given priority at the expense of the rhythm and expression.
Music without an organic pulse will leave the player with an unsatisfactory feeling ofstress and failure, and the
stream of thought will not form part of a natural flow. Good sight-reading training is therefore ensemble playing,
where the teacher supports the pulse and rhythm.
In many otherpublications of four-handed duets the secundo part is written in two bass clefs, and the primo part in two
treble clefs. Reading this untrained combination of clefs, along with the stressful fact that the music has neverbeen
seen nor heard before, can confuse the pupil.
In volumes 1 and 2 the secundo part, which is intended for the pupil, is therefore notated in a treble clef and bass
clef, as piano music for two hands is usuallynotated. In volume 3 the degree of difficulty is more varied, but in most
of the pieces improvisation is an interposed element in the primo part, being therefore a good challenge for the pupil.
In the improvisatorysections a chord or a scale is notated. These can form the tonal starting point, but here too the
pupil is encouraged to experiment with, for example, the shift between major and minor thirds, and between the high and
low sixth and seventh