#keyed fiddle

The nyckelharpa, or the keyed fiddle is a bowed string instrument from sweden. The nyckelharpa is Swedens national instrument but previously died out in the early 1900s but in the 60s and 70s the instrument had a comeback. The nyckelharpa has four types. The modern chromatic nyckelharpa has 16 strings: 1 drone string, 3 melody strings and lastly 12 sympathetic vibration (resonance) strings. The nyckelharpa is played horizontally with a small bow and by pressing one of the 37 keys the string is fretted to create different notes. Other versions have various differences and the nyckelharpa comes in great variety.

Still stuck in the string instrument part of Youtube. Theme from Pirates of the Caribbean, the way it was clearly always meant to be played: on nyckelharpa (keyed fiddle).

BARDOU-The Alchemist's Dance nyckelharpa and arch-harp guitar

Pettersson & Fredriksson - Fjärilen 

from Sotali 

Pettersson & Fredriksson - Stjarnan

from Virek

Just discovered this duo, and so far it's well worth recommending.

"Pettersson & Fredriksson seek new forms of accoustic expression. Using mandola and nyckelharpa they explore both the local Swedish folk music tradition of Västerbotten and an inner, personal landscape.

A small movie about the Swedish instrument, nyckelharpa. The tune in the background is "Löftet" (The Promise), original tune played and produced by Maria L Hallengren By Maria L Hallengren

Another word for the instrument in English is "Keyfiddle" or "Keyed Fiddle".