The hummel (also hommel or humle) is an old Northern European stringed instrument similar to an older type of

zither Zithers (; , from the Greek word ''cithara'') are a class of stringed instruments. Historically, the name has been applied to any instrument of the psaltery family, or to an instrument consisting of many strings stretched across a thin, flat ...

and is related to the Norwegian

langeleik The ''langeleik'', also called langleik, is a Norwegian stringed folklore musical instrument, a droned zither. Description The langeleik has only one melody string and up to 8 drone strings. Under the melody string there are seven frets per o ...

. The name is thought to come from the German word ''hummel'', meaning "bumblebee", referring to the droning sound created by the accompaniment strings.

History

The hummel is probably from the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

, when it was found all over Europe in slightly differing variants. The instrument was common in the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

Flanders Flanders (, ; Dutch: ''Vlaanderen'' ) is the Flemish-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to cultu ...

, Northern Germany and

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark , establish ...

during the 18th century. The earliest evidence of the instrument in Swedish folk culture is from the 17th century, and it seems to have been most common in the southern parts of the country. During the 19th century, the hummel was considered to be a primitive peasant instrument and its popularity dwindled. In Flanders, these instruments appeared during the 17th century and were popular with soldiers in the trenches during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, climaxing in the 1920s and 1930s but by the 1930s they returned to obscurity. They were mainly a family instruments and were widely played by women. Some enthusiasts have taken up playing it again since the folk revival of the 1970s.Boone Hubert, De hommel in de Lage Landen, Instrumentenmuseum en Volksmuziekarchief - Brussel, 1976

Construction

The hummel is an instrument that exists in many forms, with regards to appearance, as well as number of strings etc. Common to all varieties is a flat top and bottom. There are variations in the material used, but it is always thin. On the top are one or more soundholes which can come in many forms. The strings vary in number but often include a smaller number of melody strings and a greater number of accompanying strings. It is not uncommon to have three melody strings: two tuned identically, and the third tuned one octave below the others. Under the melody strings, either directly on the body or attached to a fretboard, are about 17 frets. The body comes in two main forms, either a pear-shaped form with the strings in the middle, or a half-pear with the strings near the edge.

Playing

The hummel is placed on a table like a zither, to amplify the sound. The melody strings are sounded by being plucked downwards, either with fingers or a plectrum. The identically tuned melody strings are often fretted in unison or so to create a

major third In classical music, a third is a Interval (music), musical interval encompassing three staff positions (see Interval (music)#Number, Interval number for more details), and the major third () is a third spanning four semitones.Allen Forte, ...

. It is even possible to play a sixth interval, through using the octave string. The strings are played with a

plectrum A plectrum is a small flat tool used for plucking or strumming of a stringed instrument. For hand-held instruments such as guitars and mandolins, the plectrum is often called a pick and is held as a separate tool in the player's hand. In harps ...

and are often all played at once. This is common because the accompaniment strings are tuned to a suitable chord that is relatively open, for example all the strings may be tuned to D or A.

Music

The hummel is perfectly suited for accompanying tunes, thanks to the many accompaniment strings. However, because of the relatively limited range of the instrument for playing more intricate melodies and keys, it is unlikely there are many compositions written specifically for this instrument.

Players

The most famous hummel player is probably Otto Malmborg or Ottar Hyll as his artist name was. An example of a contemporary hummel player is Erik Hector, who played the hummel on many of Sågskära's productions and Henrik "Hummel" Schön.

References