Kortbuen - hvordan låt det?

Abstract

In this article, I seek to describe my experiences with using the old concave short bow when playing Hardanger fiddle. I find that the old bow type challenges me in other ways than the modern type. The article first gives a historical view on the transition from the old to the new type of bow, and further I have some reflections on the style change in the Hardanger fiddle music, with emphasis on localities I know well: Hardanger, Tysnes, Suldal and Bjerkreim. I then try to put into words my experiences while playing with the short bow. A conclusion is that using the short bow gives me new ideas of how to interpret parts of my repertoire. It also gives a plausible explanation of the style I hear in certain archive recordings.