This project has been funded with support from the European Commission.
This publication reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

European Nyckelharpa Training

For the continous nyckelharpa training see: www.training.nyckelharpa.eu

86days until
100th anniverary of Eric Sahlström

100th anniversary of Eric Sahlström

127days until
9th International Days of the Nyckelharpa

Days of the Nyckelharpa

For the International Days of the Nyckelharpa see:

Johann Sebastian Bach - Andante

arr. Didier François

Antonio Carlos Jobim - Luiza

arr. Didier François

Erik Satie - Gnossienne

arr. Didier François

For many years I thought that the nyckelharpa was something more than just a melodic instrument. I started to make easy accompaniments with drone and some rhythmic gimmicks. Today I try to push the limits of the nyckelharpa a little more by playing different voices at the same time, for example:  Melody, harmony and rhythm simultaneously. I think one of the real qualities of the key fiddle against other stringed instruments is that the keyboard, like the piano, gives the opportunity of playing in polyphony. It can be a real difficulty to play more than one note at the same time on the violin (like a solo sonata by Bach) and in these instances the keys of the nyckelharpa give a real advantage!
With these three examples I hope to show some different interpretations of polyphonic playing on the nyckelharpa.

Download sheet music "Bach - Andante"
Download sheet music "Jobim - Luiza"
Download sheet music "Satie - Gnossienne"


Didier François (Belgium)

For about 20 years now I teach and play the nyckelharpa and I have the chance to make a living out of it! I like to do researches on sound, technique, groove, musical expression ...
In this instrument I also found a good partner to express my creativity in many compositions and improvisations. More and more I specialize in playing in a polyphonic way.
About 15 years ago Marco Ambrosini and I met at a festival in France. We talked a lot about our passion for the nyckelharpa and a nice cooperation started, both attracted by the fact that we were doing, in a certain way, the same thing.
We thought it was rather strange and a pity there were not so much links in between all that was happening around this strange unknown key fiddle. Many people around the world are playing, working, searching, teaching, composing, without really or easily knowing about each other. Something had to be done!
And today I am happy other people thought similarly! I am more than thankful about the CADENCE project. We finally had the chance to share ideas, music and different points of view with people from five European countries.
I hope this will be only a starting point for the spreading and the evolution of a very old string instrument that still has so much mysteries to be discovered.