Yodeling for home use. Hollareitulliöh!

It's hard to believe: for three and a half decades, I hardly sang a note. Not in a choir, not in the shower and certainly not in front of other people. The invitation to an 'Advent yodeling course' from Margie Sackl, an acquaintance of mine, then appealed to me. As a co-founder of the 'Schule der Alm im Valsertal', I should actually have a basic knowledge of yodeling. Until now, I couldn't imagine how you could learn to yodel. Now I know: by taking a yodeling course. Gone are the days when the word 'yodeling course' alone had quite an amusing effect on me. I associated it with the sketch 'Jodeldiplom' by the legendary German comedy grandmaster Loriot, in which he has his 'students' recite yodel lyrics.

Yodeling course at the adult school Völs

Of course I had already secretly tried to yodel on the mountain pasture in the Valsertal. But I just couldn't manage it. I was very keen to see if a yodeling course could help me 'get going'. Like me, seven other participants registered at the Völs adult school to discover the secret of this alpine song. Unlike me, the yodeling students were all young and had intact vocal chords.

Yodeling is like flicking a light switch

We've all tried 'jumping' between the chest register and the knocking register. This abrupt change, which in contrast to normal singing produces a typical, bright sound, is called yodeling. The sound 'jumps' to a higher level without any intermediate tones. At the beginning of the course, I was more likely to produce croaking sounds. I like to compare yodeling to flicking a light switch: When you press it, the light shines immediately. A dimmer, where the light only comes on slowly, can be compared to 'normal singing'.

Advent yodel with fine melodies

Margie Sackl organized the three practice sessions with a lot of patience. We concentrated on pre-Christmas vocal material, Advent yodels were the order of the day. Then we loosened up first. Singing requires loose muscles, especially in the chest and jaw area. Only then did the first attempts at yodeling follow.

Insight number 1: it takes a bit of courage and, above all, the willingness to listen to yourself and your own voice. Because yodeling is a form of singing that tends to produce loud sounds. This makes it edgy, somehow raw and carries the risk of being 'totally off-key'. In other words, singing incorrectly.

Then there is the matter of the words. What 'text' do you sing when yodeling? Which words do you use when? Somehow the letter sequence ‚Hollareitullio‘ is well known. But does it really get you far?

Insight number 2: the words that are used to accompany yodeling songs somehow come naturally. Or, as is the case in the yodeling course, they are virtually spoken and imitated by the teacher. There is therefore no need to learn a special text. Yodeling is therefore not associated with brain acrobatics.

Margie then introduced the individual voices that the group sings along to. Here is an audio example:

Don't be afraid of 'mistakes'

With actual singing, you then gradually approach the goal of getting an idea of the yodeling technique. With the Advent yodelers and their heartfelt melodies, it is relatively easy to practise the technique. The challenge now is to hear your own voice in the multitude of voices and to constantly try to make the 'yodeling leap'. The fact that you can also be completely wrong - no problem. Our yodeling teacher points out an old fact: "We all make mistakes," she says.

I had no idea whether my voice would even come close to doing what was required of it. I hadn't sung for years and my vocal chords seemed rusty at first. But the uncertainty soon subsides because you sing together with people who are facing the same problems. An environment in which mistakes can be made makes it even easier. And finally, you gain confidence in yourself - and singing becomes much easier.

As no words are needed, the sound carries the message. The result is a vocal form of expression that tells less and calls, answers and resounds more. Yodeling is music that doesn't need a stage, just a voice and a space for the echo.

And so we practiced four yodel songs in the multi-purpose hall of the Völs secondary school, the melodies of which are heartfelt and fitting for Advent: the 'Marienjodler', the ‚Allerseelner‘, the ‚Juchizer von den Stiererbauern vom Dachsteingebirge' and the ‚Besinnlichen‘. Of course, once you have practiced the fourth polyphonic yodel song, the first one is almost forgotten.

Yodeling for home use

"A master has never fallen from the sky" says Margie Stackl. The course is an introduction to this singing technique, so to speak. "We usually have the amazing vocal performances of artistic yodelers in our heads," she says. "This requires years of consistent training, actually a degree in singing." Her personal goal as a yodeling teacher is to teach 'yodeling for home use'.

For all those who enjoy yodeling, Margie Sackl offers further training opportunities. For example, the eight-evening 'Yodeling semester course', which she offers at Hall. Or the yodeling workshops, which she holds in suitable surroundings, such as the Tyrolean Court Museum or at Maria-Waldrast.

Links:

The website of Margie Sackl: https://www.margiesackl.at/jodeln/

Adult school Völs: https://www.voels.at/Erwachsenenschule_Voels

School of the Alm: https://www.schulederalm.at