In some episodes I´m going to present some Swedish music. This first episode I´ll tell You a little about the key harp and also give You some links to let You listen to the mysterious sound of this instrument.
To describe this instrument is very fun for me, because it comes from my home district in Uppland. When I was young I had a friend whose father used to chase us, drunk and playing this instrument. Then I didn´t understand how interesting this instrument is. For us Elvis and other rockers the interesting artists.
The origin of the key harp is difficult to get to know. They think it was common in the Nordic countries and northern Germany in the Middle Age. It seems as if it only survived in Sweden and especially Uppland, the region where I was born.
The key harp has a very special sound. It sounds kind of medieval. What makes it sound like that is the strings that resound with the strings you play. The bag-pipe uses the same principle. There it´s the pipes that resounds with the pipe you play with. Even the bag-pipe has got a medieval sound and it was also very common in Europe in the Middle Age.
The key harp is a mixture of violin and the hurdy-gurdy. The key harp one plays with a bow, on the hurdy-gurdy the strings vibrate by the friction of a wheel you touch with a crank. Both instruments have got keys to form the tunes.
You play the instrument either solo or with other musicians who play the key harp or violin. Now there are many who play the key harp, it has had a renaissance since the seventies. I the USA too there are people who play the key harp. I´ve put two links here where you can listen to the key harp and the hurdy-gurdy Both on Youtube.