Hardingfele
Categories: Bowed instruments | String instruments
A Hardanger fiddle or hardingfele (Norwegian) is a stringed instrument very similar to a violin, but different enough that a luthier accustomed to repairing violins who works on a hardingfele is likely to ruin it. It typically has eight or nine strings; four are played like a violin, while the rest (aptly named sympathetic strings) resonate sympathetically, providing a pleasant continuous sound environment for the tune. The player usually bows on two of the upper strings at a time, and sometimes three. This is made easy by the flatness of the bridge, unlike the curved bridge on a violin.
The instrument is a work of art, with a carved animal or a carved woman's head at the top of the scroll, extensive mother of pearl inlay on the tailpiece and fingerboard, and black ink decorations called 'rosing' on the body of the instrument. Sometimes pieces of bone are used to decorate the pegs and the edges of the instrument. The four or five other strings, which are not bowed, run under the fingerboard and vibrate sympathetically, giving the instrument a haunting, echo-like sound. Most hardanger tunes are played in a common tuning (A-D-A-E). Another common tuning is called "troll tuning" (A-E-A-C#). Troll tuning is used for the 'fanitullen' tunes, also called the devil's tunes. Legend had it that the fiddler learned these tunes from the devil. The understrings are tuned to vibrate according to the main tuning. For example, when the main strings are tuned A-D-A-E, the understrings are tuned B-D-E-F#-A. There are over twenty other ways to tune the Hardingfele, largely depending on the region in which the instrument is being played or the requirements of a particular tune.
The instrument is tuned a bit higher than a violin, because it sounds better in a higher range. The 'A' on the hardingfele corresponds to B flat or higher on a standard piano. The notes given above for tunings are therefore relative to the A on the Hardingfele, not to A 440 Hertz. The player will try to tune their instrument into the range where it sounds best. As you can imagine, tuning 8 or 9 strings can take some time, especially if two or more fiddlers are trying to play together. The patience of Norwegian audiences is legendary in this regard. The technique of bowing a Hardingfele is also different than violin technique. It's a smoother, bouncier style of bowing, with a lighter touch. Standard musical notation is used, with the notes corresponding to the fingering on the instrument rather than to absolute pitch. The very best players in Norway don't read music, however. They learn tunes by ear.
The Hardingfele is found on the west part of Norway, whereas the ordinary violin (called 'vanlig fele' or 'common fiddle') is found in the east. The Hardingfele is used for dancing, accompanied by rhythmic loud foot stomping. It was also traditional for the fiddler to lead the bridal procession to the church. Tunes and techniques of playing differ a great deal between different regions in Norway. This is probably because Norway consists of a series of valleys separated by mountains, and communities were isolated from each other in the past. Edvard Grieg adapted many Hardanger folk tunes into his compositions, and composed tunes for the Hardanger as part of his score for Ibsen's "Peer Gynt".
The earliest known example of the hardingfele is from 1651, made by Ole Jonsen Jaastad in Hardanger, Norway.
It was used in the soundtracks of The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King composed by Howard Shore, to provide the main voice for the Rohirrim theme. The use of the hardanger fiddle in this movie, however, is far from traditional since the theme does not make noticeable use of the usual practice of bowing on two strings at a time for harmony.
External links
de:Hardangerfiedel hu:Hardanger fidula nl:Hardangerfele no:Hardingfele sv:Hardingfela