What does jodelling mean?
Jodelling is a distinctive style of singing in which the performer rapidly alternates between the chest voice and a higher, resonant head voice. The sudden changes in pitch and vocal texture create the characteristic rising or falling call associated with Alpine mountain songs. It is closely associated with the traditional musical heritage of Austria, Switzerland, and neighbouring Alpine regions, although the technique is now performed and enjoyed well beyond that setting. In ordinary English, the term may refer either to the vocal technique itself or to the act of singing in this manner. In musical performance, jodelling can be both an ornament within a song and a dramatic feature used to convey emotion, narrative, or mountain atmosphere. The word is also used figuratively for an enthusiastic or theatrical display of voice, though such usage is less formal and more playful.
nounA form of singing characterized by rapid alternation between the chest voice and a higher, head-voice register, often producing a yodeling sound.
- The act or art of singing with rapid changes between low and high vocal registers.
"Their traditional yodelling echoed across the Alpine valley."
"She practised yodelling until she could switch between registers without effort."
"The performance of Alpine yodelling brought the audience to its feet."
From the Alpine mountains of central Europe comes a vocal style that turns the human voice into an instrument of extraordinary flexibility.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does jodelling come from?
The word comes from German "jodeln," a verb meaning to yodel, with the related noun "Jodler" denoting a person who yodels. The German forms are generally understood to be imitative of the abrupt changes of pitch characteristic of the vocal technique. The practice became internationally familiar through Alpine folk music, and English borrowed it in the 19th century, with both the forms "yodel" and "jodelling" subsequently developing.
Related word forms
How jodelling is actually used
The spelling with two l's is standard in British English; American English commonly uses one l, as in "jodeling." The word is associated particularly with traditional music in the Alps but can describe similar vocal techniques elsewhere.