A Hardanger fiddle (Norwegian: hardingfele) is a traditional stringed instrument recognized as Norway’s national instrument. Modern versions of this fiddle resemble a violin but have eight or nine strings (instead of four) and are made with thinner wood. The oldest known Hardanger fiddle was created in 1651 by Ole Jonsen Jaastad in Hardanger, Norway. Originally, the instrument had a rounder and narrower body. By around 1850, the body shape changed to look more like a violin’s.
The F-holes on a Hardanger fiddle are unique. They often appear more "sunken" and have straighter edges compared to the curved, decorative F-holes on a violin. Four of the strings are played like a violin, while the remaining strings, called understrings or sympathetic strings, vibrate along with the other four. These extra strings are tuned using additional pegs at the top of the scroll, making the scroll longer than a violin’s. The sympathetic strings pass through a specially designed, hollow fingerboard, which is higher and thicker than a violin’s to accommodate them. These strings rest on a special bridge with extra hooks on the tailpiece. Inside the bridge, there is a smaller opening that allows the sympathetic strings to pass through, helping them resonate and create sound. When notes are played, vibrations travel through the bridge, causing the sympathetic strings to echo the same notes.
The bridge of a Hardanger fiddle is taller and wider than those on other bowed instruments. This design keeps the strings slightly lower and farther apart, making it easier to play two strings at the same time (called double-stops). Some American fiddlers use a similar technique by adjusting their bridge’s position to improve double-stops.
The Hardanger fiddle is mainly used in the southwest region of Norway. Elsewhere in Norway, a regular violin is more commonly used (called flatfele, "flat fiddle," or vanlig fele, "common fiddle"). The Hardanger fiddle is played during dances, often accompanied by loud foot stomping. Traditionally, the fiddler also led the bridal procession to the church entrance but not inside.
The instrument is often decorated with carved designs, such as animals (like a dragon or the Lion of Norway) or a carved woman’s head on the scroll. The tailpiece and fingerboard may have inlays made of mother of pearl, and the body is decorated with black ink patterns called "rosing." Bone pieces are sometimes used to decorate the pegs and edges of the instrument.
Tunings
The hardingfele is a transposing instrument, which means the sheet music for the hardingfele is written in a key different from the one it sounds when played. Specifically, the hardingfele is a D instrument. This means that when the hardingfele plays a written note C, it sounds like a D on a non-transposing instrument, such as the piano. The tuning notes described below are based on the hardingfele’s written A, not the standard concert A.
The understrings are tuned to match the main tuning. For example, if the main strings are tuned to A-D-A-E, the understrings are tuned to B-D-E-F♯-A. The tuning depends on the region where the instrument is played or the requirements of a specific tune.
In Norway, more than 20 different tunings have been recorded. Most hardanger tunes are played in a common tuning (A-D-A-E). The hardanger fiddle can also be played in "low bass" tuning, where the lowest string is G, making the tuning G-D-A-E, which is the same as the normal violin tuning. In some regions, the "Gorrlaus" tuning (F-D-A-E) is used. Many skilled players, such as Annbjørg Lien, often use E-scale tunings. Instead of A-D-A-E, the instrument is tuned to B-E-B-F♯, so the music is played in an E-scale. Some players, like Knut Buen, have recorded music in an F-scale tuning (C-F-C-G). This is easier on smaller instruments, like the hardanger fiddle, and is rarely attempted on a standard violin. To play similar music on a standard violin, some fiddlers tune their G string to A, using the A-D-A-E tuning.
Another tuning is called "troll tuning" (A-E-A-C♯). This tuning is used for fanitullen tunes, also known as the devil’s tunes, and for the Kivlemøyane suite, which is associated with the hulderpeople and the devil. In the Valdres district of Norway, this tuning is called "greylighting," a term that reminds players of tuning their fiddle this way near morning after playing other tunings.
According to legend, the fiddler learned fanitullen tunes from the devil. This tuning limits the range of melodies in the music and is used very rarely.
Technique
The way of bowing a hardingfele is different from bowing a violin. The bowing style is smoother and bouncier, using a lighter touch. The player often bows two upper strings at the same time, and sometimes three. This is easier because the bridge of the hardingfele is flatter compared to the more curved bridge of a violin. The goal is to make a continuous sound with two or more notes, including sounds from the sympathetic understrings. The strings of the hardingfele are thinner, similar to the strings of baroque violins. Many violinists who are trained in classical music use a baroque bow when playing the hardingfele to balance the extra pressure that classical violinists usually apply to the strings.
An example of this technique can be seen in a performance by Rose Logan at St Cecilia's Hall.
The hardanger fiddle and religion
The hardingfele has a long connection with the Christian church. A well-known early fiddle maker, Isak Botnen, is believed to have learned his skills from church lay leader and schoolmaster Lars Klark, as well as the method for varnishing from pastor Dedrik Muus. In many folktales, the devil is linked to the hardingfele; some stories say that skilled players were taught by the devil or by the nix. During religious revivals in the 19th century, many fiddles (both regular and hardanger) were destroyed or hidden by fiddlers and others who believed it was best for the soul if the fiddles were burned. This was because the fiddle was seen as a "sinful instrument" that encouraged wild dances, drinking, and fights. This happened in Norway and other parts of Europe, and until the 20th century, playing a hardanger fiddle in a church was not allowed. However, some fiddlers continued to play despite the disapproval, helping to keep important traditions alive. The first folk musicians to perform in a church were fiddlers Johannes Dahle from Tinn and Gjermund Haugen from Notodden. Dahle performed in the 1920s.
Modern fiddler Annbjørg Lien has played with church organist Iver Kleive, but she has also faced prejudice from religious groups before performances. The oldest known fiddles still in existence can be heard with the oldest playable church pipe organ in Norway (originally built for an 18th-century church) on the album "Rosa i Botnen" by Knut Hamre and Benedicte Maurseth. While using a hardingfele in church in Norway may still be a sensitive topic for some, fiddlers in other parts of the world now play in churches for many events, including weddings.
Influences
Edvard Grieg used many traditional Hardanger folk melodies in his music. He also created new melodies for the Hardanger fiddle as part of his music for Ibsen's Peer Gynt Suite No. 1. The first part of the piece called "Morning" in Peer Gynt is based on the tuning pattern of the sympathetic strings of the Hardanger fiddle: A, F♯, E, D, E, F♯, and so on.
In recent years, the Hardanger fiddle has become more well-known outside of Norway. Japan is one country where musicians have shown interest in the instrument, and some Japanese musicians travel to Norway to learn how to play it. In 1997, the Australian composer Liza Lim wrote a piece called Philtre for a single Hardanger fiddle. She also included the instrument in her work Winding Bodies: 3 Knots (2013–14). Her string quartet The Weaver's Knot (2013–14) was inspired by the sounds and playing techniques of the Hardanger fiddle. Another recent piece is mobius II for Hardanger fiddle and electronics by the British composer Rose Dodd (2011). This piece was first performed at the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival by Britt Pernille Froholm.
Players
Well-known hardingfele players include Lillebjørn Nilsen, Knut Buen, Hauk Buen, Olav Jørgen Hegge, Annbjørg Lien, Sigrid Moldestad, Myllarguten (Targjei Augundsson), Lars Fykerud, Lars Jensen, Nils Økland, Tuva Syvertsen, Benedicte Maurseth, Anne Hytta, Gjermund Haugen, and fiddler Kathryn Tickell. Also included are the Irish fiddlers Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh and Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh, as well as American players Loretta Kelley, Andrea Een, Dan Trueman, and the multi-instrumentalist David Lindley.
In March 2010, Olav Luksengård Mjelva won the Spellemannprisen award in the Traditional Music/Norwegian Folk category (Norway's version of the Grammy Awards) for his album Fele/Hardingfele, Røros/Hallingdal.
Use in film
The hardanger fiddle 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 create the main music for the Rohan theme. However, the use of the hardanger fiddle in this movie is not traditional because the theme does not use the usual method of bowing two strings at the same time to create harmony. The violinist also used vibrato, a technique where the player moves the finger to change the pitch slightly. This can affect how the strings vibrate together. The hardanger fiddle was also used by composer John Powell and played by Dermot Crehan in the DreamWorks film How to Train Your Dragon for the main romantic theme.
The hardanger fiddle is also featured in the soundtrack of Armageddon (composed by Trevor Rabin) and in Fargo (composed by Carter Burwell). In Fargo, the music is more traditional, as it is an arrangement of a Norwegian folk song called "The Lost Sheep."
Steven Van Zandt used the hardanger fiddle in the theme song he wrote for the TV series Lilyhammer. In the Japanese animated movie Tales from Earthsea, the hardanger fiddle is played by Rio Yamase. The hardanger fiddle is also in the soundtrack of the 2017 film Dunkirk and the 2021 Loki series.