A traditional Swedish instrument, the nyckelharpa is a keyed fiddle, meaning that it a bow is drawn across its strings while keys are fingered to produce different tones. Depictions of the instrument date to the 14th and 15th centuries in Sweden, Denmark, and Germany. There are about 10,000 nyckelharpa players in Sweden today, due to a resurgence of popularity in the 1960s and 70s.
Here is Bach played on the nyckelharpa. The melody is perfectly matched with the instrument:
I am the bestselling author of nine novels, including the Swiss Chocolate trilogy and VILLA DEL SOL, which won the 2018 Book Award in Literary Fiction from the Independent Publishers of New England.
My newest series includes the books A JINGLE VALLEY WEDDING, APRIL IN GALWAY, and ALL’S WELL IN JINGLE VALLEY.
Find my books online at Amazon, locally at Stillwater Books (Pawtucket, Rhode Island) and Ink Fish Books (Warren, Rhode Island).
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11 thoughts on “Listen Up! “N” is for Nyckelharpa”
Never heard of this instrument but wonderful sound.
Beautiful. I left it playing while browsing other blogs!
Plug into people and things that uplift you and nourish your soul
If your soul is not happy, life can be pretty boring and meaningless. Routines will always part and parcel of our lives with all our must-do’s and the non-negotiables. But there’s the other part of life where we must recoup our energy. There’s where your soul comes in.
Make sure you always take time out to…
attempt new things
just be
celebrate
dream
embrace yourself
regain focus
grow your horizons
hope
initiate fresh starts
smile as you juggle
renew your faith to keep going
reflect on what you learn
make memories you can cherish
indulge in your hobbies
appreciate nature
listen to others, music
laugh
pray
be grateful
do what makes you happy
Nourish your mind to feed your soul
When you do this, remember to spring clean your routine and throw out the clutter and non-productive activities that suck your time and energy.
If it doesn’t nourish your soul get rid of it…out it goes!
Go to the people and places that set a spark in your soul
Take responsibility for your thoughts, words and actions.
Oh, I know, Alex! It’s big, too, isn’t it? Very complicated-looking, and using the bow and the keys reminds me of the old ‘pat-your-head-and-rub-your-belly’ challenge. 😀
Martha Reynolds Writes 
Never heard of this instrument but wonderful sound.
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It was a new one for me, too, Roland. Looks complicated, but I also like the sound.
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Beautiful. I left it playing while browsing other blogs!
Plug into people and things that uplift you and nourish your soul
If your soul is not happy, life can be pretty boring and meaningless. Routines will always part and parcel of our lives with all our must-do’s and the non-negotiables. But there’s the other part of life where we must recoup our energy. There’s where your soul comes in.
Make sure you always take time out to…
attempt new things
just be
celebrate
dream
embrace yourself
regain focus
grow your horizons
hope
initiate fresh starts
smile as you juggle
renew your faith to keep going
reflect on what you learn
make memories you can cherish
indulge in your hobbies
appreciate nature
listen to others, music
laugh
pray
be grateful
do what makes you happy
Nourish your mind to feed your soul
When you do this, remember to spring clean your routine and throw out the clutter and non-productive activities that suck your time and energy.
If it doesn’t nourish your soul get rid of it…out it goes!
Go to the people and places that set a spark in your soul
Take responsibility for your thoughts, words and actions.
Reach in, recharge! Here is a sweet checklist!
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Sorry I copy/pasted something besides my signature. Ooops
Feel free to delete
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I’m not deleting, Jeffrey! This is wonderful! 😄☀️🎶
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Enjoyed the Bach piece. Fascinating instrument – tweeted the link to this. 🙂
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Thanks, Lisa!
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That is beautiful. I would never have known this instrument had you not posted about it.
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It was a new instrument to me, too!
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Those strings look like they’d require a ton of maintenance. My fingers ache at the thought! But very beautiful.
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Oh, I know, Alex! It’s big, too, isn’t it? Very complicated-looking, and using the bow and the keys reminds me of the old ‘pat-your-head-and-rub-your-belly’ challenge. 😀
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