Hardingfele

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 hardangerfele 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. There is no standard tuning for the hardingfele, and there are up to 20 ways to tune it, largely depending on the region in which the instrument is being played or the requirements of a particular tune.

The earliest example of the hardingfele is from 1651, made by Jonsen Jaasted in Hardanger, Norway.

It was used in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers to provide the main voice for the Rohirrim theme. nl:Hardangerfele

External links

• Hardanger Fiddle Association of America (http://www.hfaa.org)