Improvisation and Improvisation and the Boundless the Boundless

KanteleKantele

Arja Kastinen Sibelius Academy Folk Music Department

Ancient InstrumentAncient Instrument

Kantele is an Kantele is an inseparable part of inseparable part of the ancient Baltic-the ancient Baltic-Finnish music Finnish music culture intertwined culture intertwined with creativity, with creativity, orality, orality, improvisation and improvisation and variationvariation

Contemporary KanteleContemporary Kantele

PossibilitiesPossibilities

a concrete link to the culture historya concrete link to the culture history

Simple enough to be played by everyoneSimple enough to be played by everyone

Unique and pleasant soundUnique and pleasant sound

five strings, five tones

Offers also lots of diverse possibilitiesOffers also lots of diverse possibilities

fifth

D-Lydian:

L5 L6 1 2 3 4 5 6 8

fifth

L7 7

octave

D-Mixolydian:

Open enough to give the possibility Open enough to give the possibility for different individuals to bring own for different individuals to bring own cultural elements in itcultural elements in it

Perfect tool for learning improvisationPerfect tool for learning improvisation

• creating timeless space

• the equality inside the multiplicity

• every sound is equal and as important inside the improvisation

• each moment is unique and can be full of possibilities

• the variations and differences between each individual choice are richness

• Musical discussion, improvised phrases

• Building a vibrating soundscape, inside which the minimal changes happen

• Same tunes are played on different scales with differing variations

• The emphasis is put on making own compositions, variations and improvisations

• Possible with all instruments

3 4 5 3 1 2 3 4 3 1 2 3 3 2 1 2 1 1 1

Thank you!

Arja Kastinen www.temps.fi

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String numbers:

5

• tunings, scales and the pitch can vary

• the key in the notation and the tuning in the instrument are not necessarily the same

• due to practicality, old tunes are often written in g, although they are not meant to be interpreted from that pitch