Nyckelharpa
The nyckelharpa in five languages — nyckelharpa, keyed fiddle, Nyckelharpa
Related
Five languages
| Language | Name |
|---|---|
| Chinese | 尼古赫帕 |
| English | nyckelharpa (keyed fiddle) |
| Italian | — (usual name: nyckelharpa) |
| German | Nyckelharpa |
| French | — (usual name: nyckelharpa) |
The nyckelharpa is Sweden's keyed fiddle: the strings are bowed, while wooden keys on the neck press tangents against them to change the sounding length and pitch. It usually carries a set of sympathetic strings under the body that resonate with the played strings, giving a brighter, metallic colour. The name joins Swedish nyckel, "key", and harpa, "harp".
Watch out: the nyckelharpa is not a hurdy-gurdy. The hurdy-gurdy rubs its strings with a rosined wheel, an endless bow; the nyckelharpa is played with a real bow. Both have keys and extra strings, but the hurdy-gurdy's drone comes from bass strings, while the nyckelharpa's sympathetic strings resonate with the played strings. Nor is it a Hardanger fiddle, which has no keys and is stopped by the fingers.
Read deeper → The nyckelharpa
Sources
- 各语种乐器名与键提琴构造，参 The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, "Nyckelharpa"；本文为原创表述
Used for fact-checking only; all prose is original.