The nyckelharpa is a bowed, keyed string instrument used in traditional Swedish folk music.
Its player draws a short bow across strings while pressing keys beneath the instrument’s neck. Each key moves a tangent that stops the string at a particular point, producing different notes. Additional sympathetic strings vibrate without being bowed and contribute to the instrument’s ringing sound.
The instrument has a long history in Sweden, and medieval images show related forms. Modern nyckelharpas usually have a carefully organized set of keys and strings, making them capable of chromatic melodies as well as traditional dance repertory.
The nyckelharpa is sometimes confused with the hurdy-gurdy because both are unusual European string instruments. The hurdy-gurdy uses a rotating wheel to excite its strings, while the nyckelharpa uses a conventional bow. Its keys also distinguish it from ordinary bowed fiddles.