The nyckelharpa
Sweden's keyed fiddle — wooden keys stop the string, a bow sets it singing, and twelve sympathetic strings hum underneath
Related
The nyckelharpa is Sweden's keyed fiddle: a bow sounds the strings, wooden keys press tangents against them to change the speaking length, and twelve sympathetic strings ring under the bridge.
The main line and structure: keys, tangents, four string groups
It recombines the fiddle's bow with the hurdy-gurdy's keys: the bow stays, finger-stopping is mechanised. Three rows hold thirty-seven wooden keys; pressing one brings a tangent against a melody string and shortens its speaking length. Three melody strings and one drone are bowed, while twelve sympathetic strings pass under the bridge, untouched by the bow.
Range and timbre
Three rows of 37 keys cover three octaves; C3 is the drone, C6 the highest key. The compass depends on tuning and key layout; this schematic is at sounding pitch.
Three rows cover three octaves; C3 is the drone and C6 the highest key.
Fourteenth-century images, twentieth-century revival
The Källunge relief (1350) and a 1408 Siena fresco are the earliest images; the Moraharpa is dated 1526. After eighteenth-century prominence and near-extinction by 1900, August Bohlin built a three-row chromatic model in 1926 and Eric Sahlström made it standard in the 1950s; UNESCO listed the network in 2023. It was first remembered in images, then caught by a revival.
Compared with the hardanger fiddle and the hurdy-gurdy
| Instrument | Sound source | Stopping | Sympathetic strings | Drone |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| nyckelharpa | bow | wooden keys + tangents | 12 | one drone |
| hardanger fiddle | bow | fingers | 4–5 | none |
| hurdy-gurdy | wheel | keyboard tangents | none | several |
The hardanger fiddle also has sympathetic strings but is stopped by fingers; the nyckelharpa trades that for stability and fast semitones. The hurdy-gurdy replaces the bow with a wheel, so its drone never stops; the nyckelharpa still depends on a bow, so it can stop and phrase.
HS classification
| Item | Content |
|---|---|
| HS class | Chordophone · 321.322-71 (necked box lute, bowed) |
| Sub-type | keyed fiddle · three rows of keys and tangents · 3 melody strings + 1 drone + 12 sympathetic |
| Key features | held across the waist · keys stop the strings · sympathetic strings · key clatter |
Common misconceptions
- "The nyckelharpa is a kind of hurdy-gurdy." It uses a bow, the hurdy-gurdy a wheel; the only shared idea is stopping strings with keys.
- "It is a violin with keys." String count, tuning, sympathetic strings and playing position all differ; it lies across the waist, not under the chin.
- "The sympathetic strings are decoration." They pass under the bridge and resonate passively, shaping the instrument's most recognisable colour.
Three things to take away
1. Keys stop, the bow sounds: the mechanism takes over pitch, not excitation. 2. Sympathetic strings are half the timbre: twelve strings answer under the bridge. 3. Fourteenth-century images, twentieth-century revival: the tradition broke and was reconnected.
Listen in the library
All tracks from midicn-lib — inline badge is the license tier (C1 commercial / C2 non-commercial / C3 study only).
Sources
- 14 世纪 Källunge 浮雕、1408 锡耶纳壁画、Moraharpa 1526、Bohlin 1926 与 Sahlström 1950 年代，参 Wikipedia 与 UNESCO 2023
- 321.322-71、三旋律弦 + 一持续弦 + 12 共鸣弦、37 键三排，参 Grove "Nyckelharpa"
- 曲库无尼古赫帕录音，实例取 C1 瑞典 polska 旋律并说明
Used for fact-checking only; all prose is original.