The Hardanger fiddle (or Hardingfele) looks very similar to the violin, but is typically very ornate, and has eight or nine strings. Four are bowed and fingered like a violin. The other strings pass under the fingerboard, and sing in sympathetic resonance to the other four.
It is effectively the national instrument of Norway, and closely associated with the folk and dance traditions of the country; each valley may have its own playing "dialect".- Category ID : 25918