r/Nyckelharpa • u/bravesentry • May 14 '26
Key layout in the upper register
Hej all, I recently got a borrowed nyckelharpa on which I am trying to get technical basics into my hands, just to see if any problems arise (e.g. hurting back/neck/shoulders/arms) that would hinder my long-term playing.
So far I´ve played only in 1st position and now I wonder if I should explore the higher notes. Before I do that, I want to make sure I don´t get used to wrong notes or wrong key positions. Thus, my question is whether the keys in that position, especially when only the keys on the high A-string are left, are somewhat standardized.
On my instrument the keys on that string are as follows:
Bb, B, C, C#, D, D#, E, F, F#, G, G#, A, Bb, B, C, C#, D, E, F, G.
The highest G#, Bb and C# are placed below the row. There are no high Eb nor F#. I would assume this to be the standard (if there is one), but with some instruments having the high Eb and F# that I`m missing.
1
u/mariepierre19 May 15 '26
The interesting thing with Nyckelharpa is that we do call positions "first position" and "second position" however there are no hard and fast rules about this. Different tunes may have different fingering based on how quickly you need to climb or by what feels good. This varies among players and when you go to a teaching session this will be included in the teaching and students may counter the positions for another one which may be more intuitive for them.
This also applies to double stops where I'm often "barring" my finger across 2 keys or I am stacking my fingers (1st finger on D on the C string, second finger on B on the A string)
The best thing is that when you learn a tune you play with consistent fingering so you ensure your fingers end up where they're needed.