Composing a Polka

[calebrw]

I don't know if any of you have tried to compose or have composed a polka or just know anything about it, but I have been asked to compose a polka and please share any information you have about it.

Thanks,

Calebrw

[tony]

OFCOURSE, A POLKA IS POLISH ! tRANSLATED IT MEANS 'POLISHWOMEN OR GIRL"!ITS A RICH HERITAGE MUSIC! IT CAN BE DAnced to and it ca have accordion or piano! unfortuinately,Chopin didnt right any but,he did rite another polish heritage music the "mazurek"- mazurka! goodluck!

[TheRach]

From what I know, the Polka's (written in 2/4) origins are Czech, whereas the polska (written in 3/4) has Polish origins.
Then there's also the Polka-mazurka, also in 3/4, so I'm not exactly sure now.

[calebrw]

thank you for your input, but I was looking for something slightly more in depth, because I can find basic info, but not the composer's standpoint...

[tony]

POLSKA????? what the heck is the polska out of all Ihave never heard of that one! polka is based of the polish culture.

[Philip Daniel]

POLSKA????? what the heck is the polska out of all Ihave never heard of that one! polka is based of the polish culture.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polska
"Polska
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
The polska (not to be confused with the polka) is a folk dance and dance rhythm, common in Nordic folk music and folk dances. The word means "Polish" in Swedish, and is short for "Polish dance". Probably it does have Polish roots. It is possible that the dance originated when king Sigismund Vasa (Sigismund III of Poland, Sigismund I of Sweden) travelled to Sweden for his coronation, accompanied by Polish musicians.

In the different parts of Sweden, the style of polskas vary considerably. The largest local variety of polskas probably come from the Swedish regions Dalarna and Småland where places like Malung, Orsa, Bingsjö, Rättvik and Boda have distinctive varieties.

There are three main types of polskas: the semiquaver polska or sixteenth-note polska (somewhat similar to the polonaise), the quaver polska or eighth-note polska (somewhat similar to the mazurka), and the triplet polska. In Finland almost only the sixteenth note polska exists.

The oldest form polska is the "eighth-note", distinguished by a long second beat and a highly accented first and third beats. A sixteenth note polska, also known as a slängpolska characterized by its fast paced dancing where the female is "swung" or virtually "thrown" across the dance floor by her male partner. A Norwegian variety played with faster music is called pols."

Too long, perhaps ?

[tony]

wow im comfused because to me polska means poland and hy would they name a dance poland especially beacuse im from poland.?

[calebrw]

well, my thinking is that they couldn't think of anything else to name the dance so they said "Let's name it Polska after our wonderful country of Poland"

and that there is the history of the poslka summed up in one line

[Fryderyk]

Polska is the name of a Swedish dance that was brought to Sweden during the 16:th century, by the king Johan III who was married to a polish woman, I think, or at leas had "good" contacts with one. The dance is in 3/4. Att dansa polska can be translated "To dance polish" but I think it rather means "To dance like the Polish".