The Hardanger
fiddle is a special kind of
violin from a region in western
Norway called
Hardanger. This is a region of
mountains and
fjords, very
scenic and
romantic. This region has its own characteristic
folk music style, in which the hardanger fiddle is central.
The "hardingfele", as it is known in Norwegian, has four main strings that are sometimes, but not always, tuned like the strings of a normal violin. The hardingfele also has around eight (varies) resonator (drone) strings that are tuned accordingly. The hardingfele is almost always tuned to a particular key where the resonator strings give the best effect.
The hardingfele is exclusively used for folk music, playing Norwegian styles such as springar, halling, gangar etc. Due to the resonator strings, the sound is quite different from a normal violin.
The hardingfele has a very meticulous design, with a specially carved head, lots of purfling, and a fingerboard that has lots of inlays.