Nyckelharpa Strings & Nyckelharpa Bows For Sale (USA)

Vermont Violins is the Best Source of Nyckelharpa strings in the United States!

Not a big claim…one of the only sources! The Nyckelharpa is an ancient traditional instrument of Sweden, bowed like a fiddle but the strings are stopped with keys instead of fingers much like a hurdy-gurdy. The bowed strings are accompanied by 12 sympathetic strings that add a haunting undertone and it is a critical component of Scandinavian folk culture and music. The Nyckelharpa has experienced a renaissance of sorts today as it is increasingly popular throughout the United States as more instruments have become available with the rise in interest of Scandinavian culture.

Vermont Violins was the first to distribute the Prim Nyckelharpa strings in the US, having supplied for years the American Nyckelharpa Association for their online sales.

Our Nyckelharpa bow is finely crafted by Gewa Music in Germany from quality woods. The bow is closer to a Baroque violin bow in design, though significantly shorter at 38 cm. It is well-balanced and responsive!

Nyckelharpa strings come in many variants for each string. If you don’t see what you are looking for, just give us a call or send an email (info@vermontviolins.com) and we’ll work to get you exactly what you need!

Nyckelharpa Sympathetic Strings

Nyckelharpas have 12 sympathetic strings that run below the primary bowed strings. These strings are standard Guitar strings, and we’ve selected the D’Addario brand as the preferred brand. There are three ways to configure your sympathetic strings and we sell these three as packages. If you would like individual strings, please just send us an email or give us a call and we can process individual string orders too.

Strings have two differentiating characteristics: the diameter and whether it is wound or plain steel. A thinner string is generally used under the higher-pitched bowed strings and the thicker ones resonate to the bass side of the instrument.

The 12 Step method is the most commonly used configuration and is most often recommended. This involves 12 different strings with 12 diameters ranging from 0.014” (0.36mm) to 0.026” (0.64mm). If you’re not sure which configuration to select, select this one.

The second most popular configuration is the 4+4+4 method. This uses 4 wound strings 0.024” (0.61mm), 4 wound strings 0.021” (0.53mm) and 4 plain steel strings 0.014” (0.36mm)

A smaller number of players select the 6+6 configuration. Only two strings are used: 6 wound strings 0.021” (0.53mm) and 6 plain steel strings 0.014” (0.36mm).