Åsne Valland Nordli

Hardingfele refers to the Hardanger fiddle tradition of Norway—both the specially built fiddle and its repertoire of rural dance-tunes (slåttar) and listening pieces. The instrument looks similar to a violin but has 4 (sometimes 5) bowed strings above, plus 4–6 sympathetic strings underneath that vibrate in resonance, producing a shimmering, bell-like halo. Players use cross-tunings (scordatura) tailored to each tune family, abundant double-stops and drones, highly ornamented fingering, and subtle bow pulses. Rhythms often carry the distinctive asymmetrical triple-time swing of regional springar styles, and melodies gravitate to modal colors (Dorian, Mixolydian) with flexible intonation.