Jouhikko

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The jouhikko is an ancient, usually three-stringed Finnish bowed lyre, also called jouhikannel (see kantele). Its strings are traditionally of horsehair, though some modern instruments are made with carbon fibre, nylon, gut or even metal viola strings. In recent times it has been most prominently employed by by Finnish folk metal band Korpiklaani.

The most common tuning is d¹-a-e¹ with the middle 'A' string functioning as a drone. This tuning is known as the Karelian tuning. The drone string can also be tuned a tone lower, this tuning being called 'haikea' or melancholy.

The strings are stopped traditionally by pressing against them with the back of the fingers (the knuckles), as there is no fingerboard to press the strings against, though some players use the nails or the front of the fingers. This fingering method is rather similar to the igil or the sarangi which also lack fingerboards. To touch the melody string the hand is inserted through a hole in the flat wooden board that makes up the top third of the instrument.

The first note of the scale is played on the D string, which cannot be fingered as it lies on the far side of the drone and out of reach of the hand hole. The second note is the E string played open. The third, fourth, fifth and sixth notes of the scale are played with the backs of the four fingers. Whilst it is possible to play higher notes by moving the hand further up the string all the traditional melodies are within a compass of six notes, the first six notes of either a major or minor scale.

Related instrument is the four-stringed Estonian talharpa and the crwth.

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[edit] References

  • Andersson, Otto. The Bowed Harp, translated and edited by Kathleen Schlesinger (London: New Temple Press, 1930).
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