How much is a Hardanger fiddle worth?
Beginning fiddlers can find appropriate fiddles for $1500 – $2000. Anything less than $1200 or so is likely to be junk. Old fiddles with desirable playing qualities made by master craftsman can cost much more. The very highest prices are probably in the $30,000 to $50,000 range.
What is the difference between Hardanger fiddle and a violin?
A Hardanger fiddle (Norwegian: hardingfele) is a traditional stringed instrument considered to be a national instrument of Norway. In modern designs, this type of fiddle is very similar to the violin, though with eight or nine strings (rather than four as on a standard violin) and thinner wood.
How does a Hardanger fiddle work?
A Hardanger fiddle has four playing strings, which are bowed in the usual way, plus four or five “understrings” which run under the fingerboard. The instrument is tuned in many different ways, depending on the piece being played….Tuning of understrings.
| String Placement | String Tuning |
|---|---|
| Fourth | tuned to e’ |
| Fifth | tuned to c’# |
How many strings does a Hardanger fiddle have?
four
Hardanger fiddle, also called Harding fiddle, Norwegian hardingfele, or hardingfela, regional fiddle of western Norway, invented in the late 17th century. It has four bowed strings positioned above four or five metal sympathetic strings.
Where is Hardanger Norway?
The Hardangerfjord is situated in the county of Hordaland in Western Norway. It is the second longest fjord in Norway, with it’s 179 km. Its maximum depth is more than 800 metres.
Who invented the Hardanger fiddle?
It seems to have first appeared in the 1600s, and quickly became popular throughout the region. Isak Neilsen Skaar and his son Trond Isaksen were two well-known early makers of the instrument. During the period from 1825 to 1875, the Helland family of Telemark brought the fiddle to its highest point of development.
What is troll tuning?
Aly and Ale explained that Troll Tuning is a particular way of setting up a fiddle where the strings are tuned AEAC♯, rather than the more usual GDAE.
Is a fiddle a violin?
I usually answer, “They’re really the same instrument, just different kinds of music.” You know: violin is for classical and jazz while fiddle is for folk, country, and bluegrass. Western classical players sometimes use “fiddle” as an affectionate term for the violin, that intimate companion and workmate.
What does Hardanger mean?
: embroidery of Norwegian origin worked over counted threads in a geometrical design.
Where did Hardanger originate?
The exact origins of Hardanger embroidery are not known but it is thought to have its beginnings in ancient Persia and Asia. During the Renaissance, this early form of embroidery spread to Italy where it evolved into Italian Reticella and Venetian lacework.
Where did the Hardanger fiddle get its name?
The instrument originated in the area around the Hardanger fjord, whence its name. It is distinctly Norwegian; in fact, it is played in only about a quarter of Norway, the western and south-central areas. The oldest instrument found has a date of 1651.
What kind of body does a Hardanger fiddle have?
The construction of the Hardanger fiddle is basically like that of a violin. In comparison with violins, however, the amount of variation from instrument to instrument is enormous. Older instruments usually will have smallish bodies, rather tubby, narrow but with a very high arching.
How do you tune a Hardanger fiddle like a violin?
If the instrument has only four understrings, it is the fifth which is omitted. Another way to understand the tuning: If you start with a violin (tuned EADG), to tune it like a Hardanger fiddle, raise the lowest string one whole tone, and then tune the whole instrument up about one whole tone.
What kind of fiddle do they play in Norway?
Hardanger fiddle. A Hardanger fiddle (or in Norwegian: hardingfele) is a traditional stringed instrument used originally to play the music of Norway.