Nyckelharpa Photo

Subject: Nyckelharpa Photo
From: Alice
Date: 14 Nov 04 - 03:04 PM

For those who would like to see a photo of "open mike" playing her nychelharpa, click here.
nychelharpa photo

Lovely lady, lovely instrument, great tunes, including the ones she composed. Wish I had the audio to post with it!

I had not seen nor heard a nyckelharpa until Laurel brought hers to my home on her trip to Montana.

Alice

Subject: RE: Nyckelharpa Photo
From: frogprince
Date: 14 Nov 04 - 04:22 PM

Fascinating; never even heard of such a machine. Tell me if I'm interpreting what I see anywhere near correctly: a nyckelharpa is a bowed instrument with far too many strings to "finger" directly, so it uses a set of sliding pins with projections. Would love to hear what it actually sounds like, (and to meet any lady with such a cheerful,inviting countenance.

Subject: RE: Nyckelharpa Photo
From: Sorcha
Date: 14 Nov 04 - 04:29 PM

Yes....buttons to push in and out kind of like a hurdy gurdy....sounds kinda like one too.

Subject: RE: Nyckelharpa Photo
From: katlaughing
Date: 14 Nov 04 - 04:57 PM

Thats a great photo! Thanks for posting it!

frogprince, long time ago I heard one on NPR and just had to find out more. Found my old link and it still works! Sound samples are near the botttom of the page:Nyckelharpa

Subject: RE: Nyckelharpa Photo
From: katlaughing
Date: 14 Nov 04 - 05:20 PM

There's some really neat samples on this page, even some Beethoven!

Subject: RE: Nyckelharpa Photo
From: frogprince
Date: 14 Nov 04 - 05:44 PM

Doggonit, my good gal isn't here to dance to some of this with; will have to play some of it for her when she gets back. Thanks Kat, delightful.

Subject: RE: Nyckelharpa Photo
From: GUEST,Art Thieme
Date: 14 Nov 04 - 05:58 PM

This instrument has survived in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan after being introduced there by immigrants---probably miners. There is a nice photo of Edwin Johnson and Paul Dahlin -- circa 1979 -- in my folk photos collection up on the web.

Art Thieme

Subject: RE: Nyckelharpa Photo
From: open mike
Date: 14 Nov 04 - 07:16 PM

hello! we have discussed this instrument in a few other threads..
try here.
the strings that get "fingered" or that have "frets" are only 3.
the other strings are drone or sypathetic resonating strings.
the keys change the tone of the string much like a finger and fret
might...it has 16 strings...a Swedish folk instrument which is a
few centuries old....well not mine, it is only 10 years old...

Subject: RE: Nyckelharpa Photo
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 14 Nov 04 - 07:25 PM

If you hunt around in this site about the Saint Chartier Festival in France, (and it is well worth hunting around for the video clips!) there is a video clip with a procession of people with bagpipes and hurdy-gurdies - and there's a nickelharpa in amongst them.

(I've just done a spelling check on this post and I discovered I'd invented two wonderful new instruments - the bagpie, and the nurdy-gurdy. I think those are names that deserve to have instruments designed to fit them.

Subject: RE: Nyckelharpa Photo
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 14 Nov 04 - 07:45 PM

In his book How to Play the 5-String Banjo Pete Seeger says you should make your instrument bag big enough to carry your lunch - he says apples but pies sound more like proper muso food.

But as for the other one, don't we have enough nerds in our midst already?

Subject: RE: Nyckelharpa Photo
From: Nerd
Date: 15 Nov 04 - 01:44 AM

I've used the "Nerdy-Gurdy" quip before, since my nickname made it obvious. Bagpie is a good one, though!

Subject: RE: Nyckelharpa Photo
From: GUEST,Sarah
Date: 15 Nov 04 - 02:18 AM

Open Mic's instrument is a handsome looking one.

I've got a picture in our newsletter this time round of me inflicting mine on the resident's of Thurlstone last year at http://www.howdenjones.co.uk/newsLetter.html

I'v discovered it's much better to play standing up but the strap has got to be exactly the right length or you cannot reach the upper keys. It is very temperamental when the weather is warm and damp (think it wants to revert to being a tree sometimes) and it will go rapidly sharp onstage under lights if it isn't already really warmed up.

Cheers
Sarah

Subject: RE: Nyckelharpa Photo
From: John P
Date: 15 Nov 04 - 11:25 AM

There's a picture of my wife playing her nyckelharpa right here on the Mudcat site.

John P.

Subject: RE: Nyckelharpa Photo
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 15 Nov 04 - 01:45 PM

Intriqued, I went to the web page with the sound samples and discovered to my dismay that you can't really listen to the music. Somebody has inserted regular interruptions into them, so they sound like an LP with a bad scratch.

I hate it when people do that. Do they think I am going to swipe their 30 seconds of nyckelharpa and become the next Donald Trump?

An observation - the sound of the nyckelharpa is very similar to that of the Hardanger fiddle, another Scandinavian specialty.

Subject: RE: Nyckelharpa Photo
From: open mike
Date: 15 Nov 04 - 11:03 PM

it's the resonating harmonic strings--that Hardangfele and Nyckelharpa
(and Sitar!) have in common. They pick up on vibrations of the played
strings and continue to "sing" after the other strings have stopped.

Subject: RE: Nyckelharpa Photo
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 16 Nov 04 - 12:13 PM

Right. And the pieces share something else - the playing of a few measures of random intro which were probably intended to let people know a new tune was starting and to come onto the dance floor. When I say random, I mean I don't hear any relationship between the intro and the tune that follows. Nothing wrong with that.