Fanten - fiddle tune from Setesdal, Norway

The first tune I learned, "Fanten" (the hobo / vagabond / tramp)
Played on a "Setesdalsfele" made by Leif Salve Håkedal. His website:
www.fiolinmaker.no

[@humlekuk]

So many new comments and I have been too lazy to respond to them all, sorry... Thanks for the nice words, and I'll get around to responding better another time. The instrument I'm playing here is a "Setesdalsfele", and it was made in Norway by Leif Salve Håkedal. He regularly ships new instruments to other countries, including the US. My other instrument is a hardingfele, also made by Salve. Maybe one day I'll get around to making a video about them.

[@Sp1kerPistol]

They actually used the Hardanger fiddle in the Rohan theme (Rohirrim) in Lord of the Rings. That's cool !

[@MrFair]

Great playing! Please upload more! You played so well that my girlfriend and me just danced in the kitchen to your playing ;)

[@DemonVS]

Usually, a fiddle is tuned aproximately one whole note higher than regular violin tuning, and there very rarely exists any sheet music for it so far as I know. I play myself (though I'm only a beginner), and the most used method of learning is teacher to student during lessons, and the tunes are all remembered by heart. I can of course not tell wether the fiddler in this video learned to play by ear or if he was taught, but it could possibly be a bit of both. Hope that answers your questions ^^

[@johningeolsen40]

this truly depends what song your going to play..i play fiddle so i better know XD

[@bethfox3967]

It is very nice. I hadn't heard this tune before. I love the fiddle. I grew up thinking of its music being American mountain music, which I love. I'm half Norwegian & I must say that I love knowing this music is part of my heritage.

[@johningeolsen40]

im norwerian...and i play this instrument :-) i have family in US and they love listening to me playing when they are viseting ;-) hopefully you have been in norway to experience a real "hallingdans" or a big festival like a "kappleik"

[@tracylynnw]

Fantastic tune

[@tashahoney11]

Love your rhythm

[@enkulanka]

Wonderful!

[@mirurg]

Hah! Bor ikke så veldig langt vekk fra Setesdalen jeg! xD Fin sang foressten (: *fav + love* ^^

[@de3667]

Loved it!

[@sailorjosh11]

beautiful!

[@51mermaidclaira]

Your song always cheers me up.

[@CaptainFishHead]

Superb. This is how it was meant to be. Gorgeous tune, fine fiddle, well played. More from Setesdal, please. Screw tradition, ink and inlay, make these fiddles just to play!

[@maddogthirteen]

Awesome! I hope you upload more videos of your playing, I really enjoyed this.

[@AlienCollective]

As advertised, it is very nice!

[@alandana]

Very fine! Alan

[@adahs6994]

Beautifull thanks!, i didnt know one could hold the fiddle like that, it seems more comfortable.

[@TurinDarein]

det var vakkert!!! så godt^^ takk

[@LarsPrillaman]

Dude! More tunes! More uploads! This is awesome, keep it coming!

[@Wood111112]

Beautiful!

[@TheDragongirl1]

You are playing good to have that song as the first to learn :)

[@kentisaksson7999]

awesome

[@samaratenzin]

really nice one ;) love it

[@ssolrik]

Faenitullen. The devils tune. Well played sir

[@TaiganTundra]

Hahaha, "humlekuk"?

[@slaphappyduplenty2436]

Are the five other fiddlers behind the camera? Holy hell, what an instrument!

[@tomrogerlilleby2890]

The secret about the Norwegian Harding fiddle is that it's got additional underlaing drone strings that are not played, but vibrates and make the fiddle sound louder and gives a more richer sound as if there are several fiddles playing simultaneously. One of our most famous violinists, Ole Bull, toured a lot all over the world - and people that wasn't familiar with this instrument suspected that he had additional musicians playing behind the curtain when he was on stage and played the "Hardingfele."

[@BBKoVI]

@@tomrogerlilleby2890 Even still, this tune is polyphonic, meaning in this case much of it is two strings being bowed (and fingered) at a time, unlike a basic fiddle/violin tune with a one-line melody.

[@humlekuk]

@Vitisaurio On a real hardingfele, yes. This is a modified violin - it has a shorter neck and understrings, just like a hardingfele, otherwise it's a violin. One of these days I'll make a new video with my other fiddle ;)

[@SwedudeEPIC]

Great!

[@bosniac17]

that was really nice, makes me want to learn it on my normal fiddle!

[@egreendc]

this is a good, rhythmic tune on a great instrument. A lot of Hardanger fiddle music is slow and mournful, so I much prefer this tune--thanks!

[@keithlomas3535]

Reminds me a bit in parts of Irish folk music

[@ederdstark1128]

Can you make an easy Nordic folk violin tutorial please? I’m driven to play the music from Norway

[@humlekuk]

Thank you :)

[@TheSecretmuseum]

super!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@gaby280989]

woooooooooooooooooooooooooow I LOVE IT

[@samucito30]

molto bravo!

[@karlteigen8496]

Nice!

[@grrwuff4099]

...smiling smiling, all the way through...

[@rebeccalofft6855]

Great job :-D

[@freia66]

Very cool. I have a transcription of this tune, if anyone is interested.

[@greenplantnorth]

i figured it out, but thanks alot

[@humlekuk]

On my other fiddle ;)

[@Alteropptattforfaen]

Det var veldig tøft=) Selv spiller jeg fele, men har dessverre ikke vært særlig mye borti hardingfela..

[@xaav]

Great ,i like this sound ! (and too the percussion with feet !) where do you find such a music instrument ?

[@ErikSvansbo]

www.fiolinmaker.no/en/instrumenter/setesdalsfele.php

[@tcorriganmusic]

Amazing piece of music. Is it in standard violin tuning? Do you have sheet music for this, or did you learn it by ear?

[@torgeirnordb369]

Meir! Last opp fleire snuttar. Kva med Reisaren eller Skorsvikjen? Noko fantaspel?

[@jonrichardjacobs31]

Jækla bra 😄

[@riegdor]

01,03,2019

[@greenplantnorth]

i got a fiddle like that from my dad, but i don't know how to tune it. can anybody help me?

[@anabanana9141]

it sounds beautiful

[@Sp1kerPistol]

Nice nick btw...

[@chloeaccardi7547]

Hi there, I'm writing from the Museum of International Folk Art - we are opening an exhibition on Scandinavian dress and looking to license music from Setesdal - hoping to speak with you about contracting your work. Please get in touch if you can!

[@Vitisaurio]

@humlekuk Question: shouldn't the F carved in a different way than the violin F's??

[@ManBlackCap]

Not on setesdalefeles -- these are the more violin-like versions of a hardingfele, with far less adornment but retaining the sympathetic strings. Some suggest that musicians in the Setesdal region either could not afford or perhaps did not want a typical hardingfele, and converted violins to a hardingfele-type instrument. Now these less-adorned versions of the hardingfele are known as setesdalfeles.

[@TheHonestPeanut]

That's very Meiti.

[@gijane02]

That looks like a violin

[@hummingfrog]

Why do you hold the fiddle against your chest instead of under your chin? I've heard that some traditional fiddlers play that way, but I've never actually seen it done. It looks kind of awkward, and it seems like it would be harder to reach the strings! Were you taught that way, or did you just decide it worked better for you?

[@tomrogerlilleby2890]

hummingfrog - Many Norwegian fiddlers prefere it this way. It is probably no other reason than this is the way that comes natural to them. This is dance music - so the fiddlers would sit down all evening playing. This music was not meant for a man standing upright in a concert hall playing for an audience. He was more like a discjocky at a dance gathering - or a wedding - or a feast of some kind.

[@martinh1277]

@@tomrogerlilleby2890 This is the old style of keeping a violin. Violin exists since 1543, Arcangelo Corelli was the first to hold it on the shoulder, this was shortly before 1600. You are a living dinosaur. ;-)

[@AleXzorZ]

On hardingfiddle you always play in first position, so there is no need for a shoulder rest to hold the violin tight when reaching for high notes(above first position) and vibrato etc, as you would on a classical violin. It's the traditional way of playing hardingfiddle, and personally I find it much more comfortable than using a shoulder rest, which I find awkward and not very ergonomic for hardingfiddle style of playing. It's easier to reach the strings, not harder, and allows the bow hand to be in a much more ergonomic position when playing

[@brgeschultz2102]

ferfet

[@7things7777]

ايش تقول

[@bleydadr]

@Kamissick He is not American.

[@liljoerox]

Anyone know how the fiddle is tuned?

[@melvinklassen]

One tunes the fiddle by slightly turning the pegs. Note that there are 8 pegs -- 4 strings are bowed, and 4 strings (under the fingerboard) are "sympathetic" -- they just resonate when the other 4 strings are bowed. I've seen hardingfele players retune their instrument, just to make it easier to finger a specific tune, i.e., tuning a string or two up/down by a tone or semi-tone.

[@josesallamanca4503]

Melvin Klassen pretty sure they mean what tuning is it in?

[@alexandersrnes4272]

Probably A-D-A-E. I found this, supposed to be notation of this tune Fanten: app.uio.no/hf/imv/feleverk/note.php?id=1947

[@TheHonestPeanut]

@Kamissick Fail.

[@VtheArcher]

Wonderful!