Hardingfele

Idiomatic to the music of Norway is the hardingfele, a highly decorated violin with four or five sympathetic strings under the fingerboard. The instrument produces a thick sound and uses at least twenty different tunings. The hardinfele is used to accompany dance as well as for music to be listened to. Since the 1980s, Norwegians have combined traditional music with rock idioms, and Annbjørg Lien (b.1971) was one of the first hardingfele artists to record in the new idiom.