A Guide to Tunings on the Hardingfele

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by Karin Løberg Code

The following reference was compiled to identify the numerous tunings for the Norwegian Hardanger fiddle. Listed below in the first column are the top strings of the fiddle from lowest to highest (G-string to E-string) with the understrings in brackets []. In the next column you will find the various names for the tunings and finally where the name originates. I have also included other pertinent facts, such as well-known tunes and origins of the names.

My sources include Bjørndal and Alver's ...og fela, ho let, Olav Gurvin's "The Harding Fiddle" Studia Musicological Norvegia, Loretta Kelley's Telemarkspel, and Volume 7 of Norsk Folkemusikk - Hardingfeleslåtter (NFMHS). I also included information from the Valdres Folkemuseum for which I have no recording of the source. To my knowledge, this is the most complete list of tunings for the hardingfele.

I have listed the most common tuning first and then the rest follow in alphabetical order. Please note that middle C is designated as such: c';. One octave higher would therefore be identified as: c". One octave lower as: c.

Top Strings [Under Strings]	Name of Tuning	Where Name Originates and Tune Examples / Notes
a.d'.a'.e" [(b).d'.e'.f#'.a']	regular tuning oppstilt bas oppstilt vanleg stille høg bas håge base halvforstemt jamt stille	81% of tunes transcribed in NFMHS general usage in norway Seljord Vinje Valdres Setesdal Fjotland Sunnfjord
a.c'.a'.d" [(a).c'.d'.f'.a']	nedstilt kvint og ters	Telemark - "Sumarmorgon" by Eivind Groven
a.c'.a'.e" [(b).d'.e'.g'.a']	nedstilt ters	Telemark - "Brunnslåtten" by Eivind Groven
a.d'.a'.e" [(a).d'.e'.g'.a']	kolagutstille kolastill kolåsstille	Møre, Nordfjord Sykkylven - named after fiddlers from Gudbrandsdal, "Kolagutane" Sunnmøre
a.d'.a'.c#" [c'.e'.f#'.a']	nedstilt kvint	Tinn - "Førnesbrunen" etter Olav Bernos Gvåle
a.d'.a'.d" [(b).d'.e'.f#'.a']	unnamed håvt forstemt	Setesdal Valdres
a.d'.f#'.e" [(b).d'.e'.f#'.a']	trollstilt trollstemt huldrastilling låg kvart seljekvatstille seltakvedne forkjer forstemt overforstemt nedstilt kvart	Seljord, Setesdal, Hornindal, Strandebarm Fresvik Øystre Slidre Valdres - "St. Thomasklokkelåten" Voss, Granvin Granvin Tinn Setesdal, Førde Ytre Sogn Tinn - "Trollhallingen etter Knut Dahle"
a.e'.a'.a" [(a).c'.e'.g'.a'] [(a).c#'.e'.g'.a']	huldrastilling or huldastilt unnamed	Granvin - seldom used because fiddle becomes 'out of whack' afterwards according to one spelemann in this region Ål - "Dekken" and "Prillarguri"
a.e'.a'.b" [(a).c#'.e'.f#'.a']	seltakvedlstille seltakvednstille	Hardanger Granvin
a.e'.a'.c#" [(a).c#'.e'.f#'.a']	trollstilt trollstilling trollstemt huldrestille fjellmøystidde nøringstille nøringjæ grålysingstille solungstille hjuringstille forstemt heilt forstemt fullt forstemt half forstemt halvstemming overforstemt	Ål, Vinje Lindås Odda Seljord, Jølster Setesdal Hardanger, Voss - comes from a three-day wedding ceremony. Used while guests ate the breakfast meal on the second day of the festivities (nøring) Granvin Valdres, Sogn - the light which permeates the sky just before sunrise Skjåk Vennesla Voss, Breim Gloppen Gaular Fjaler Standebarm Brekke (Sogn) - tuning used late at night to reinvigorate the dancers
a.e'.a'.d" [(b).d'.e'.f#'.a']	forstemt	Setesdal
a.e'.a'.e" [(a).c#'.e'.f#'.a'] [(b).c#'.e'.f#'.a']	hælgråing forstemt halvt forstemt oppstilt tenor oppstilt ters halvgråing	Valdres - "Hælgråingad'n" - to liven up the dancers Vestre Sildre, Sejord, Gaular - "Hinkarsslåtten" (Fanitullen) Gaular, Breim, Gloppen Vinje Strandebarm, Telemark - "Myllarguten Bruremarsj"
a.f#'.a'.e" [(a).d'.e'.f#'.a']	overforstemt	Voss
bb.d'.g'.d" [(bb).c'.d'.f'.g']	unnamed	Telemark - a tune by Torkjell Haugerud
b.e'.a'.e" [(b).c#'.e'.f#'.a']	unnamed	Setesdal "Homslien etter Gunnar Austegard"
c.e'.a'.e" [c'.d'.e'.a']	oppstilt ters og bas	Tinn - "Salme Tone fra Tuddal"
c.f'.a'.e" [(c').d'.e'.f'.a']	unnamed	Sogn - "Hagastille" (old form)
e.a.a'.c#" [unknown]	unknown	Vestland-"Bygdatråen"
f.c'.a'.e" [(a).c'.f'.g'.a'] [c'.d'.f'.a']	Blinde-Rasmus-stillet fantestille understemt nedstilt hansehåkon	Stryn - after a fiddler named Breim Telemark - "Systerslått etter Svein Løndal" Valdres - apparently named after a fiddler
f.d'.a'.e" [(a/bb/b).d'.e'.f'.a'] [(f)b.d'.g'.a']	gorrlaus unnamed huldrastilling gorrlaus bas	Setesdal Skjåk - "Kristen Nakjen" Aurdal - "Grihamaren etter Ole Moe" Valdres
f#.d'.a'.e" [(a).d'.e'.f#'.a']	unnamed	Listed by Gurvin
g.c'.a'.e" [(b).c'.e'.g'.a'] [c'.d'.e'.a']	trollstilt fantesstille kolagutstille ondestemt forkjert forstemt nedstilt bas og ters låg ters og bas hansehåkon stille	Seljord, Vinje, Setesdal Naustedal, Breim, Stryn Veøy Tinn Setesdal Gloppen Tinn - "Jotunheimsensprin" Valdres - Ola Okshovd's springar "Ein sumarkveld i Jotunheimen" Valdres - apparently named after a fiddler
g.d'.a'.b" [(b).d'.e'.g'.a']	den grøne stilling huldrastilling grøntstille	Aurdal Valdres Valdres
g.c'.a'.c#" [(b).d'.e'.f#'.a']	nedstilt kvint	Tinn - Ole O. Bernås played "Førnesbrunen" which he learned on munnharpe
g.d'.a'.d" [(b).d'.e'.g'.a']	nedstilt kvint og bas låg kvint og bas halv kvint ljøsblått håvt forstemt bestemt huldrastille, Solund og spokrostille	Telemark, Vinje Valdres Ål Valdres Setesdal Jølster Gudbrandsdal
g.d'.a'.e" [(b).d'.e'.g'.a']	violin tuning, nedstilt or nedstilt bas låg bas lause base halv kvint	11% of tune in NFMHS general usage in Norway Valdres Bygland Ål
g.d'.g'.e" [(b).d'.e'.g'.a']	forstemt	Gaular - "Klunkespringaren"
g.e'.a'.e" [(b).d'.e'.g'.a']	unnamed forkjert	Ål Setesdal
g.e'.b'.c#" [(b).c#'.e'.g'.a']	unnamed	Listed by Gurvin

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A Guide to Tunings on the Hardingfele