Nyckelharpa

Nyckelharpa
Nyckelharpa
Nyckelharpa built by Eric Sahlstrom.jpg
Classification
  • Bowed string instrument
Related instruments

A nyckelharpa (literally "key harp", plural nyckelharpor), sometimes called a keyed fiddle, is a traditional Swedish musical instrument. It is a string instrument or chordophone. Its keys are attached to tangents which, when a key is depressed, serve as frets to change the pitch of the string.

The nyckelharpa is similar in appearance to a fiddle or the bowed Byzantine lira. Structurally, it is more closely related to the hurdy gurdy, both employing key-actuated tangents to change the pitch.

Contents

History

A nyckelharpa built by Fredrik Söderström in 2008.
Angel with viola a chiavi, Cappellina di Palazzo Pubbico, Siena, Italy. Fresco by Taddeo di Bartolo, 1408
Two angels with nyckelharpa, fresco in the church at Tolfa, Tierp Municipality, Uppland, Sweden. Unknown painter, second half of 15th century.
Schlüsselfidel at the "Knochenhaueramtshaus", Hildesheim, Germany, 1529
Schlüsselfidel (lower right) shown in Michael Praetorius' Syntagma Musicum, 1619
Bronwyn Bird, member of Blue Moose, plays the nyckelharpa at a concert in 2007. Photo by georgie grd.
Marco Ambrosini at Burg Fürsteneck, Germany, playing a nyckelharpa built by Annette Osann
Didier François teaching his special technique at the International Days of the Nyckelharpa at Burg Fürsteneck, 2005

A depiction of two instruments, possibly but not confirmed nyckelharpor, can be found in a relief dating from circa 1350 on one of the gates of Källunge church on Gotland.[1][2] Early church paintings are found in Siena, Italy, dating to 1408[3] and in different churches in Denmark and Sweden, such as Tolfta church, Sweden, which dates to circa 1460-1525.[4] Other very early pictures are to be found in Hildesheim, Germany, dating to circa 1590.[5] The Schlüsselfidel (nyckelharpa) is also mentioned in Theatrum Instrumentorum, a famous work written in 1620 by the German organist Michael Praetorius (1571–1621). The Swedish province of Uppland has been a stronghold for nyckelharpa music since the late 16th century, including musicians like Byss-Calle (Karl Ersson Bössa, 1783–1847) from Älvkarleby.[2]

Changes by August Bohlin (1877–1949) in 1929/1930 made the nyckelharpa a chromatic instrument with a straight bow, making it a more violin-like and no longer a bourdon instrument.[2] Composer, player and maker of nyckelharpas Eric Sahlström (1912–1986) further refined the instrumentand helped to re-popularize it in the mid-20th century.[2] In spite of this, the nyckelharpa's popularity declined until the 1960s roots revival.

The 1960s and 1970s saw a resurgence in the popularity of the nyckelharpa, with notable artists such as Marco Ambrosini (Italy and Germany), Sture Sahlström, Hasse Gille, and Nils Nordström including the nyckelharpa in both early music and contemporary music offerings. Continued refinement of the instrument also contributed to the increase in popularity, with instrument builders like Jean-Claude Condi and Annette Osann bringing innovation to the bow and body.

In 1990s, the nyckelharpa was recognised as one of the instruments available for study at the folk music department of the Royal College of Music in Stockholm (Kungliga Musikhögskolan).

The nyckelharpa has been a prominent part of several revival groups in the later part of the century, including the trio Väsen, the more contemporary group Hedningarna, the Finnish folk music group Hyperborea and the Swedish folk music groups Dråm and Nordman.

The nyckelharpa and its tonal range appear on the reverse of the Swedish 50 kronor banknote.

Technique

Traditionally and usually currently, the nyckelharpa is played with a strap around the neck, stabilised by the right arm. Didier François, violinist and nyckelharpist from Belgium, is noted for using an unusual playing posture, holding the nyckelharpa vertically in front of the chest. This allows a wider range of motion for both arms. It also affects the tone and sound of the instrument. Using a violin bracket to keep the nyckelharpa away from the body so it can swing freely causes it to sound more "open".

Variants

There are four common variants of the nyckelharpa still played today, differing in the number and arrangement of keys, number and arrangement of strings, and general body shape. The predominant type is the so-called "chromatic nyckelharpa", with the melody strings tuned A1 - C1 - G, a drone C (from the highest to the lowest string) that is only touched occasionally, and 12 resonance strings (one for each step of the chromatic scale).

The resonance strings, or sympathetic strings, which were added to the instrument during the 2nd half of the 16th century[citation needed], are not bowed directly but resonate with the other strings.

Traditional variants of the nyckelharpa used to have one or more drone strings. This is still true for modern chromatic nyckelharpor with three rows of keys for three melody strings. But there are now also types with four or even five rows of keys. These no longer have real drone strings.

See also

References

  1. ^ History, Nyckelharpa.org
  2. ^ a b c d World Music: The Rough Guide, volume 1 Africa, Europe and the Middle East, ed. Simon Broughton, Mark Ellingham and Richard Trillo with Orla Duane and Vanessa Dowell, London: Rough Guides, 1999, ISBN 9781858286358, p. 299.
  3. ^ German Wikipedia, "Gerne"
  4. ^ Printed information about Tolfta church and by Swedish nyckelharpa researchers
  5. ^ German Wikipedia

External links


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