Ack Värmeland, du sköna (O Värmland, You Beautiful)

Traditionnel (Suède) · Level 3 (Late beginner) · traditional · Piano

A Swedish folk song in praise of the province of Värmland, published in 1822; a melancholy tune in D minor that Stan Getz made famous in jazz (“Dear Old Stockholm”). An easy arrangement in D minor: the right hand plays the tune, the left hand only plays the bass of each chord, one held note at a time.

▶ Play this piece with the interactive score

How to practise it

• Listen first: the site plays it while the score scrolls.
• Wait mode: the score waits for you at every note, at your own pace.
• Tempo challenge: play in time, with a score and a map of the bars you got right.
• Work in four-bar phrases, hands separately then together. Keep the left hand softer than the tune: let the right hand sing.

More pieces by Traditionnel (Suède)

• Du gamla, du fria (Swedish National Song)

Source : Arrangement Note after Note d’après l’air populaire suédois (1822) · Public Domain