Nyckelharpa

Sound and Character

The sound of the nyckelharpa is rich, silvery, deep, humming, and mesmerizing. Due to the abundance of resonating strings, the instrument sounds voluminous, resembling an entire small string ensemble.

Design and Features

The wooden body resembles a violin, but the neck is strewn with rows of wooden keys with tangents. 4 main strings and up to 12-16 sympathetic (resonating) strings are stretched beneath them.

Genres Used In

• Traditional Swedish folk music
• European folk-rock and medieval folk