NORWEGIAN JEWSHARP FORUM
"The purpose of the Norwegian Jew's Harp Forum (NMF) is to take care of, promote and develop interest in the jew's harp, knowledge of the jew's harp tradition, production of jew's harps, harp music, and harp training. "
On these pages you can see what NMF is doing, get information about current events and photos and media will be published on recent events where the Jew's Harp is involved.
NMF arranges courses in jew's harp playing, make-up courses and festivals.
NMF also appoints honorary members, works on book projects, participates and contributes to other events.
About the Festival 2024
The Norwegian Munnharpeforum informs that:
The Jews Harp Festival 2024 has been cancelled!
Dear Jews Harp enthusiasts!
This year's Harp Festival, which was supposed to be in Gjøvik 27-29. September, will unfortunately be cancelled.
It turns out that another festival is to be organized in Gjøvik that very weekend, and that the accommodation capacity is full. It turns out that alternative accommodation is half an hour's drive away and that will create challenges. We have investigated whether it is possible to move the festival to October, but it is difficult to implement.
Instead, we take a break and recharge until 2025! Then there will be both the Klangen before the fiddle (Klangen før fela) at Riksscenen, blacksmithing courses at Gjøvik in May, and not least the first ever Jews Harp festival in Molde! It will be a festival packed with an exciting programme, and will start in the autumn of 2025.
We are sorry that there will be no festival this autumn! Those who have bought a ticket will of course get their money back. At the same time, we are looking forward to more Jews Harp meetings next year.
Regards, the board of the Norwegian Jews Harp Forum
To our English readers:
You can choose 'English' language on top of this site for an automatic translation. It is maybe not the best, but you hopefully get an idea of what this is about. There are also pages "In English" that we made specially for you. You'll find the pages in the menu on top of the site.
The site is under construction, so feel free to come back later.
Norwegian Jew's Harp Forum wishes you all a great Jew's harp day!
Jew's Harp and artist
TONO's interview from 2019 with NMF's leader Bent Åserud.
It's about the jew's harp and the fiddler's prize.
Read more on TONO
(Opens in a new window)
Jew's Harp and Norwegian Jew's Harp Forum
Jew's harp and chest made of
Leif Arne Bakke
Jew's harp is a folk music instrument that has traditions in many countries:
Norway: Munnharpe
Sweden: mundgiga
Denmark: Jewish harp
England and USA: Jew's harp (jaws harp is also used)
Austria: Maultrommel
Germany: Maultrommel / Mundharp
France: guimbarde
Italia: scacciapensieri (Sicilia: marranzano)
Netherlands: mouth harp
England (old): trump
Estonia: Parmupill
Latvia: Vargans
Lithuania: Dambrelis
Russia: the wolf
Central Asia: khomus
Japan (Hokkaido): mukkuri
Japan: kou-kini
Philippines: ruding (kubing)
Indonesia: genggong
India: morsing
India (Rajastan): morchang
Spain: Arpa de boca
Thailand: rab ncas
China: hoho, sheng, sho
Norwegian Jew's Harp Forum is a forum for everyone who is interested in jew's harp, whether it is for listening, to learn and play yourself or for those who want to learn how to make their own jew's harp. We are a young but rapidly growing organization with both Norwegian and foreign members. The member magazine Munnharpa is published four times a year.
Examples of Norwegian Jew's Harps
Jew's Harps made by blacksmiths from Setesdal:
1: Knut Nikolson Berg, ca 1930.
2: Knut Gjermundson Hovet, ca.1970.
3: Knut Tveit, ca.1988.
4: Bjørgulv Straume, ca.1998.
5: Folke Nesland, ca.1995. 6: Bjørgulv Rysstad, ca.1994
Jew's harps made by Folke Nesland 2021
Jew's harp made by Bjarne Rysstad 2021
More pictures of Norwegian Jew's harps will follow...
Course in playing the mouth harp
The Norwegian Mouth Harp Forum is a driving force for promoting jew's harp playing in Norway. We have several skilled instructors and are therefore involved in arranging courses around the country to meet the need, which is gratifyingly increasing. Info about future events is updated continuously.
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COURSE BEGINNER
One step at a time ...
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COURSE ADVANCED
For those who are ready
to learn more ...
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COURSE MASTER CLASS
For those who expand their repertoire ...
Examples from NMF's archive
