View source for Hurdy-gurdy

{{Short description|Mechanical stringed musical instrument}}
{{other uses}}
{{ infobox instrument
| names          = Wheel fiddle, wheel vielle, vielle à roue, zanfona, draailier, ghironda
| range          = [[file:HurdyRange.svg|250px]]
| image          = Louvet Drehleier.JPG
| classification = [[String instrument]] ([[Bow (music)|bowed]])
|hornbostel_sachs= [[List of musical instruments by Hornbostel–Sachs number: 321.322|321.322-72]]
|hornbostel_sachs_desc= Composite [[chordophone]] sounded by rosined wheel
| related        =
* [[Drejelire]]
* [[Nyckelharpa]]
* [[Bowed clavier]]
* [[:fr:Vielle organisée|Vielle organisée]]/[[:it:Lira organizzata|Lira organizzata]]
* [[Viola organista]]
}}
{{ listen
| filename = HurdySample.ogg
| title    = Sound sample of a hurdy-gurdy
}}

The '''hurdy-gurdy''' is a [[string instrument]] that produces sound by means of a hand-cranked [[rosin]]ed wheel which rubs against the strings. The wheel functions much like a violin (or [[nyckelharpa]]) bow, and single notes played on the instrument sound similar to those of a violin. Melodies are played on a [[musical keyboard|keyboard]] that presses ''tangents''—small wedges, typically made of wood or metal—against one or more of the strings to change their pitch. Like most other acoustic stringed instruments, it has a [[sound board (music)|sound board]] and hollow cavity to make the vibration of the strings audible.

Most hurdy-gurdies have multiple [[drone (music)|drone]] strings, which give a constant pitch accompaniment to the melody, resulting in a sound similar to that of [[bagpipes]]. For this reason, the hurdy-gurdy is often used interchangeably or along with bagpipes. It is mostly used in [[Occitan folk music|Occitan]], [[Music of Aragon|Aragonese]], [[Cajun music|Cajun French]], [[Music of Galicia, Cantabria and Asturias|Asturian, Cantabrian, Galician]], [[Hungarian folk music|Hungarian]], and Slavic folk music. It can also be seen in early music settings such as [[medieval music|medieval]], [[renaissance music|renaissance]] or [[baroque music]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://caslabs.case.edu/medren/baroque-instruments/hurdy-gurdy-baroque/ | title=Hurdy-Gurdy (Baroque) – Early Music Instrument Database }}</ref> One or more of the gut strings called 'trompette' usually passes over a buzzing bridge called the 'chien' that can be made to produce a distinctive percussive buzzing sound as the player turns the wheel.

== History ==
[[file:Organistrumsantiago20060414.jpg|thumb|Ancient kings playing an [[organistrum]] at the Pórtico de la Gloria in the [[Catedral de Santiago de Compostela]] in [[Santiago de Compostela]], Spain]]

The hurdy-gurdy is generally thought to have originated from [[fiddles]] in either [[Europe]] or the [[Middle East]] (e.g., the [[rebab]] instrument) before the eleventh century A.D.<ref name=Baines/> The first recorded reference to fiddles in Europe was in the 9th century by the [[Persian people|Persian]] geographer [[Ibn Khordadbeh|Ibn Khurradadhbih]] (died 911) describing the [[Byzantine lira|lira]] (''lūrā'') as a typical instrument within the [[Byzantine Empire]].<ref>Margaret J. Kartomi: On Concepts and Classifications of Musical Instruments. Chicago Studies in Ethnomusicology, University of Chicago Press, 1990</ref> One of the earliest forms of the hurdy-gurdy was the [[organistrum]], a large instrument with a [[guitar]]-shaped body and a long neck in which the keys were set (covering one diatonic octave). The organistrum had a single melody string and two drone strings, which ran over a common bridge, and a relatively small wheel. Due to its size, the organistrum was played by two people, one of whom turned the crank while the other pulled the keys upward. Pulling keys upward is cumbersome, so only slow tunes could be played on the organistrum.<ref>Christopher Page, "The Medieval Organistrum and Symphonia. 1: A Legacy From the East?," ''The Galpin Society Journal'' 35:37–44, and "The Medieval Organistrum and Symphonia. 2: Terminology," ''The Galpin Society Journal'' 36:71–87</ref>

The pitches on the organistrum were set according to [[Pythagorean tuning|Pythagorean temperament]] and the instrument was primarily used in monastic and church settings to accompany choral music. Abbot [[Odo of Cluny]] (died 942) is supposed to have written a short description of the construction of the organistrum entitled ''Quomodo organistrum construatur'' (How the Organistrum Is Made),<ref>''Scriptores ecclesiastici de musica sacra potissimum'', 3 vols., ed. Martin Gerbert (St. Blaise: Typis San-Blasianis, 1784; reprint ed., Hildesheim: Olms, 1963), 1:303. Available online at http://www.chmtl.indiana.edu/tml/9th-11th/ODOORG_TEXT.html</ref><ref>Franz Montgomery, "The Etymology of the Phrase by Rote." ''Modern Language Notes'' 46/1 (Jan. 1931), 19–21.</ref> known through a much later copy, but its authenticity is very doubtful. Another 10th-century treatise thought to have mentioned an instrument like a hurdy-gurdy is an [[Arabic music]]al compendium written by Al Zirikli.<ref name=Baines>{{Cite journal |first=Anthony |last=Baines |title=Reviewed work(s): ''Die Drehleier, ihr Bau und ihre Geschichte'' by Marianne Bröcker |journal=[[Galpin Society|The Galpin Society Journal]] |volume=29 |date=May 1976 |pages=140–141 [140] |doi=10.2307/841885 |jstor=841885}}</ref> One of the earliest visual depictions of the organistrum is from the twelfth-century ''Pórtico da Gloria'' (Portal of Glory) on the cathedral at [[Santiago de Compostela]], Galicia, Spain: it has a carving of two musicians playing an organistrum.<ref name="Palmer">{{cite book |last=Palmer |first= Susann |year=1980 |title= The Hurdy-Gurdy |location=London |publisher= David & Charles |isbn= 0-7153-7888-0}}</ref>{{rp|47}}<ref name="Muskett">{{cite book |last=Muskett |first= Doreen |year=1998 |title= Hurdy-Gurdy Method |location=England |publisher= Muskett Music |isbn= 0-946993-07-6}}</ref>{{rp|3}}

[[File:0 Joueur de vielle à roue à Saint-Jean-des-Ollières.JPG|thumb|left|Hurdy-gurdy player in [[Saint-Jean-des-Ollières]], [[Puy-de-Dôme]] (France)]]

Later, the ''organistrum'' was made smaller to let a single player both turn the crank and work the keys. The ''solo organistrum'' was known from Spain and France, but was largely replaced by an improved variant, known as a ''[[symphonia]]'', in the 13th century, a small box-shaped version of the hurdy-gurdy with three strings and a [[diatonic]] keyboard. At about the same time, a new form of key pressed from beneath was developed. These keys were much more practical for faster music and easier to handle; eventually they completely replaced keys pulled up from above. Medieval depictions of the ''symphonia'' show both types of keys.{{citation needed|date=July 2025}}

During the [[Renaissance]], the hurdy-gurdy was a very popular instrument (along with the bagpipe) and the characteristic form had a short neck and a boxy body with a curved tail end. It was around this time that ''buzzing bridges'' first appeared in illustrations. The buzzing bridge (commonly called the ''dog'') is an asymmetrical bridge that rests under a drone string on the sound board. When the wheel is accelerated, one foot of the bridge lifts from the soundboard and vibrates, creating a buzzing sound. The buzzing bridge is thought to have been borrowed from the ''[[tromba marina]]'' ([[monochord]]), a bowed string instrument.

During the late Renaissance, two characteristic shapes of hurdy-gurdies developed. The first was guitar-shaped and the second had a rounded [[lute]]-type body made of staves. The lute-like body is especially characteristic of French instruments.{{citation needed|date=July 2025}}

[[File:Hieronymus Bosch 040.jpg|thumb|Detail of ''[[The Garden of Earthly Delights]]'' by [[Hieronymus Bosch]], showing the first known depiction of a buzzing bridge on a hurdy-gurdy]]

By the end of the 17th century changing musical tastes demanded greater polyphonic capabilities than the hurdy-gurdy could offer and pushed the instrument to the lowest social classes; as a result it acquired names like the German ''Bauernleier'' 'peasant's lyre' and ''Bettlerleier'' 'beggar's lyre'. During the 18th century, however, French [[Rococo]] tastes for rustic diversions brought the hurdy-gurdy back to the attention of the upper classes, where it acquired tremendous popularity among the nobility, with famous composers writing works for the hurdy-gurdy. The most famous of these is [[Nicolas Chédeville]]'s ''Il pastor Fido'', published under the name [[Antonio Vivaldi]]. At this time the most common style of hurdy-gurdy developed, the six-string ''vielle à roue''. This instrument has two melody strings and four drones. The drone strings are tuned so that by turning them on or off, the instrument can be played in multiple keys (e.g., C and G, or G and D).{{citation needed|date=July 2025}}

During this time the hurdy-gurdy also spread further to Central Europe, where further variations developed in western Slavic countries, German-speaking areas and Hungary (see the list of types below for more information on them). Most types of hurdy-gurdy were essentially extinct by the early twentieth century, but a few have survived. The best-known are the French ''vielle à roue'', the Hungarian ''tekerőlant'', and the Spanish ''zanfoña''. In [[Ukraine]], a variety called the ''lira'' was widely used by blind street musicians, many of whom were [[persecuted bandurists|persecuted by Stalin]] during the [[Great Purge]] in the 1930s.<ref>Kuromiya, Hiroaki (2007). ''The Voices of the Dead: Stalin's Great Terror in the 1930s''. Yale University Press. pp. 108-124. {{ISBN|9780300123890}}. {{OCLC|123137017}}.</ref>

[[file:FOURNEL(1887) p051 Fig.25-27.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.2|Vagabonds with hurdy-gurdy (1887 drawing)]]

The hurdy-gurdy tradition is well-developed particularly in [[Hungary]], [[Poland]], [[Belarus]], Southeastern [[France]] and [[Ukraine]]. In Ukraine, it is known as the [[lira (Ukrainian instrument)|lira]] or relia. It was and still is played by professional, often blind, itinerant musicians known as [[lirnyk]]y. Their repertoire has mostly para-religious themes. Most of it originated in the Baroque period. In Eastern Ukraine, the repertoire includes unique historic epics known as ''[[Duma (epic)|dumy]]'' and folk dances.{{citation needed|date=July 2025}}

Lirnyky were categorised as beggars by the Russian authorities and fell under harsh repressive measures if they were caught performing in the streets of major cities until 1902, when the authorities were asked by ethnographers attending the 12th All-Russian Archaeological conference to stop persecuting them.

The hurdy-gurdy is the instrument played by ''Der Leiermann'', the street musician portrayed in the last, melancholy song of [[Schubert]]'s ''[[Winterreise]]''. It is also featured and played prominently in the film ''[[Captains Courageous (1937 film)|Captains Courageous]]'' (1937) as the instrument of the character Manuel, played by [[Spencer Tracy]].{{citation needed|date=July 2025}}

The instrument came into a new public consciousness when [[Donovan]] released his hit pop song "[[Hurdy Gurdy Man]]" in 1968. Although the song does not use a hurdy-gurdy, the repeated reference to the instrument in the song's lyrics sparked curiosity and interest among young people, eventually resulting in an annual hurdy-gurdy music festival in the [[Olympic Peninsula]] area of the state of Washington each September.<ref name="AboutOTW">[http://www.overthewater.org/about/ ''About the Over The Water Hurdy-Gurdy Association''.] From the 'Over The Water' website. Retrieved on January 9, 2014</ref>
 [[File:Early.music.hurdy.gurdy.sergio.gonzalez.jpg|thumb|right|alt=Hurdy-gurdy player Sergio González in an Early Music setting with a harpsichord in the back|Hurdy-gurdy player Sergio González in an [[Early Music]] setting with a [[harpsichord]] in the back]]
Today, the tradition has resurfaced. Revivals have been underway for many years as well in [[Austria]], [[Belarus]], [[Belgium]], the [[Czech Republic]], [[Denmark]], [[Germany]], [[Hungary]], [[Italy]], the [[Netherlands]],<ref name="Jaarboek1">{{cite book |editor1-last=Anthoons |editor1-first= Jan |editor2-last=Dewit |editor2-first= Herman |year=1983 |title= Volksmuziekatelier&nbsp;— Jaarboek 1 |location=Lennik, Belgium |publisher= Jan Verhoeven}}</ref>{{rp|85–116}} [[Norway]], [[Poland]], [[Portugal]], [[Russia]], [[Slovakia]], [[Spain]], [[Sweden]], and [[Ukraine]]. As the instrument has been revived, musicians have used it in a variety of styles of music (see the [[Recordings featuring the hurdy-gurdy|list of recordings that use hurdy-gurdy]]), including contemporary forms not typically associated with it.

== Terminology ==
[[file:Cellar Darling Rockharz 2018 18.jpg|thumb|[[Anna Murphy (musician)|Anna Murphy]] ([[Cellar Darling]]; former [[Eluveitie]]) plays a modern version of the hurdy-gurdy]]
[[File:Sébastien Tron.jpg|right|thumb|[[:fr:Sébastien Tron|Sébastien Tron]], French hurdy-gurdy player]]

A person who plays the hurdy-gurdy is called a hurdy-gurdist, or (particularly for players of French instruments) viellist.

In France, a player is called ''un sonneur de vielle'' (literally "a sounder of vielle"), ''un vielleux'' or ''un [[:fr:vielleur|vielleur]]''.

Because of the prominence of the French tradition, many instrument and performance terms used in English are commonly taken from the French, and players generally need to know these terms to read relevant literature. Such common terms include:

* ''Trompette'': the highest-pitched drone string that features the buzzing bridge
* ''Mouche'': the drone string pitched a fourth or fifth below the trompette
* ''Petit bourdon'': the drone string pitched an octave below the trompette
* ''Gros bourdon'': the drone string pitched an octave below the mouche
* ''Chanterelle(s)'': melody string(s), also called ''chanters'' or ''chanter strings'' in English
* ''Chien'': (literally "dog"), the buzzing bridge
* ''Tirant'': a small peg set in the instrument's tailpiece that is used to control the sensitivity of the buzzing bridge

== Nomenclature ==
[[file:SzerenyiTekero.jpg|thumb|Two Hungarian-style hurdy-gurdies (''tekerőlants'')]]
[[file:MuseuMusicaBCN 8963.jpg|thumb|Hurdy-gurdy in [[Museu de la Música de Barcelona]]]]

According to the [[Oxford English Dictionary]], the mid-18th-century origin of the term ''hurdy-gurdy'' is [[onomatopoeia|onomatopoeic]] in origin, after the repetitive warble in pitch that characterizes instruments with solid wooden wheels that have warped due to changes in humidity or after the sound of the buzzing-bridge.<ref name="OED">{{cite web | title = Oxford English Dictionaries online entry for ''hurdy-gurdy'' | url = http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/hurdy-gurdy | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120810070829/http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/hurdy-gurdy | url-status = dead | archive-date = August 10, 2012 | website = oxforddictionaries.com | access-date = 26 January 2016}}</ref> Alternately, the term is thought to come from the Scottish and northern English term for uproar or disorder, ''hirdy-girdy''<ref name="Palmer"/>{{rp|41}} or from ''hurly-burly'',<ref name="Palmer"/>{{rp|40}} an old English term for noise or commotion.<!-- An alternative [[folk etymology]] suggests the term comes from an anglicized form of the French ''harpe de gourde''.{{fact|date=March 2007}} --> The instrument is sometimes more descriptively called a ''wheel fiddle'' in English, but this term is rarely used among players of the instrument. Another possible derivation is from the Hungarian ''hegedűs'' (Slovenian variant ''hrgadus'') meaning a fiddle.<ref>Slovene Folklore, Author(s): F. S. Copeland, Source: Folklore, Vol. 42, No. 4 (Dec. 31, 1931)</ref>

In France, the instrument is known as ''vielle à roue'' (wheel fiddle) or simply ''vielle'' (even though there is another instrument with this name), while in the French-speaking regions of Belgium it is also known in local dialects as ''vièrlerète/vièrlète'' or ''tiesse di dj'va'' ('horse's head').<ref name="Palmer"/>{{rp|38}} The Flemings and the Dutch call it a ''draailier'', which is similar to its German name, ''Drehleier''. An alternate German name, ''Bauernleier'', means "peasant's lyre". In Italy, it is called the ''ghironda'' or ''lira tedesca'' while in Spain, it is a ''zanfona'' in Galicia, ''zanfoña'' in Zamora, ''rabil'' in Asturias and ''viola de roda'' in Catalonia. In the Basque language, it is known as a ''zarrabete''. In Portugal, it is called ''sanfona''.<ref name="Veiga">{{cite book|last=Veiga de Oliveira|first= Ernesto |orig-year=1964|year=2000|title= Instrumentos Musicais Populares Portugueses|location=Lisbon|publisher= Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian|isbn= 972-666-075-0}}</ref>{{rp|211–221}}

The Hungarian name ''tekerőlant'' and the alternative ''forgólant'' both mean "turning lute". Another Hungarian name for the instrument is ''nyenyere'', which is thought to be an onomatopoeic reference to the repetitive warble produced by a wheel that is not even. This term was considered derogatory in the Hungarian lowlands, but was the normal term for the instrument on [[Csepel island]] directly south of Budapest.{{citation needed|date=April 2013}} The equivalent names ''ninera'' and ''niněra'' are used in Slovakia and the Czech Republic respectively. In Russian, Ukrainian, and Belarusian the instrument is called "wheel lyre" (''колёсная лира'', ''колісна ліра'', ''колавая ліра''). In Poland it is called "cranked lyre" (lira korbowa).

''Leier'', ''lant'', and related terms today are generally used to refer to members of the [[lute]] or [[lyre]] family, but historically had a broader range of meaning and were used for many types of stringed instruments.

In the eighteenth century, the term ''hurdy-gurdy'' was also applied to a small, portable [[barrel organ]] or [[street organ]] (a cranked box instrument with a number of organ pipes, a bellows and a barrel with pins that rotated and programmed the tunes) that was frequently played by poor [[busking|buskers]], street musicians specifically called [[Street organ#Organ grinders|organ grinders]]. Such organs require only the turning of the crank to play; the music is coded by pinned barrels, perforated paper rolls, and, more recently, by electronic modules.<ref>{{cite web | last=Azumi | first=Eric | title=Hurdy Gurdy History: History Of The Hurdy Gurdy | website=Lark in the Morning | date=27 April 2017 | url=https://larkinthemorning.com/blogs/articles/hurdy-gurdy-history | access-date=9 August 2023}}</ref> The French call these organs ''Orgue de Barbarie'' ("Barbary organ"), while the Germans and Dutch say ''Drehorgel'' and ''draaiorgel'' ("turned organ"), instead of ''Drehleier'' ("turning lyre"). In Czech, the organ is called ''flašinet''.

== Design ==

=== Shape ===
[[file:Hurdyparts.png|thumb|Major parts of a modern French-type hurdy-gurdy]]

In her overview of the instrument's history, Palmer recorded twenty-three different forms,<ref name="Palmer"/>{{rp|23–34}} and there is still no standardized design today.

The six-stringed French ''vielle à roue'' is the best-known and most common sort. A number of regional forms developed, but outside France the instrument was considered a [[folk instrument]] and there were no schools of construction that could have determined a standard form.

There are two primary body styles for contemporary instruments: guitar-bodied and lute-backed. Both forms are found in French-speaking areas, while guitar-bodied instruments are the general form elsewhere. The box form ''[[symphonia]]'' is also commonly found among players of early music and historical re-enactors.

=== Strings ===
[[file:WheelTangents.jpg|thumb|left|Wheel and tangents on a French type hurdy-gurdy with three ''chanterelles'' (melody strings). The keyboard is visible on the right side of the picture.]]

Historically, strings were made of [[Catgut|gut]], which is still a preferred material today and modern instruments are mounted with violin (D or A) and cello (A, G, C) strings.<ref name="Muskett"/>{{rp|10–12}} However, metal-wound strings have become common in the twentieth century, especially for the heavier drone strings or for lower melody strings if octave tuning is used. Nylon is also sometimes used, but is disliked by many players. Some instruments also have optional sympathetic strings, generally guitar or banjo B strings.<ref name="Muskett"/>{{rp|10–12}}

The drone strings produce steady sounds at fixed pitches. The melody string(s) (French ''chanterelle(s)'', Hungarian ''dallamhúr(ok)'') are stopped with tangents attached to keys that change the vibration length of the string, much as a guitarist uses his or her fingers on the fretboard of a guitar. In the earliest hurdy-gurdies these keys were arranged to provide a [[Pythagorean tuning|Pythagorean temperament]], but in later instruments the tunings have varied widely, with [[equal temperament]] most common because it allows easier blending with other instruments. However, because the tangents can be adjusted to tune individual notes, it is possible to tune hurdy-gurdies to almost any temperament as needed. Most contemporary hurdy-gurdies have 24 keys that cover a range of two chromatic octaves.

To achieve proper intonation and sound quality, each string of a hurdy-gurdy must be wrapped with cotton or similar fibers. The cotton on melody strings tends to be quite light, while drone strings have heavier cotton. Improper cottoning results in a raspy tone, especially at higher pitches. In addition, individual strings (in particular the melody strings) often have to have their height above the wheel surface adjusted by having small pieces of paper placed between the strings and the bridge, a process called ''shimming''. Shimming and cottoning are connected processes since either one can affect the geometry of the instrument's strings.

=== Buzzing bridge ===
[[file:FrenchBuzzingBridgeSystem.jpg|thumb|upright|Entire buzzing bridge system for a French-style instrument, with part labels]]
[[file:FrenchBuzzingBridge.jpg|thumb|French type buzzing bridge]]
[[file:TekeroBassBuzzing.jpg|thumb|Hungarian type buzzing bridge (on a bass ''tekerő'')]]

In some types of hurdy-gurdy, notably the French ''vielle à roue'' ('fiddle with a wheel') and the Hungarian ''tekerőlant'' (''tekerő'' for short), makers have added a buzzing bridge—called a ''chien'' (French for dog) or ''recsegő'' (Hungarian for "buzzer")—on one drone string. Modern makers have increased the number of buzzing bridges on French-style instruments to as many as four. This mechanism consists of a loose bridge under a drone string. The tail of the buzzing bridge is inserted into a narrow vertical slot (or held by a peg in Hungarian instruments) that holds the buzzing bridge in place (and also serves as a bridge for additional drone strings on some instruments).

The free end of the dog (called the ''hammer'') rests on the soundboard of the hurdy-gurdy and is more or less free to vibrate. When the wheel is turned regularly and not too fast the pressure on the string (called the ''trompette'' on French instruments) holds the bridge in place, sounding a drone. When the crank is struck, the hammer lifts up suddenly and vibrates against the soundboard, producing a characteristic rhythmic buzz that is used as an articulation or to provide percussive effect, especially in dance pieces.

On French-style instruments, the sensitivity of the buzzing bridge can be altered by turning a peg called a ''tirant'' in the tailpiece of the instrument that is connected by a wire or thread to the ''trompette''. The ''tirant'' adjusts the lateral pressure on the ''trompette'' and thereby sets the sensitivity of the buzzing bridge to changes in wheel velocity. When hard to trigger, the strike or the bridge is said "sec" (dry), "chien sec", or "coup sec". When easy to trigger, the strike or the bridge is said "gras" (fat), "chien gras", or "coup gras".

There are various stylistic techniques that are used as the player turns the crank, striking the wheel at various points in its revolution. This technique is often known by its French term, the ''coup-de-poignet'' (or, more simply, the shortened ''coup''). The percussion is transmitted to the wheel by striking the handle with the thumb, fingers or base of the thumb at one or more of four points in the revolution of the wheel (often described in terms of the clock face, 12, 3, 6, and 9 o'clock) to achieve the desired rhythm. A long buzz can also be achieved by accelerating the wheel with the handle. It is called either "un glissé" (a slide) or "une trainée" (a streak).  More accomplished players are able to achieve six, eight, or even twelve buzzes within one turn of the wheel.

On the Hungarian ''tekerő'' the same control is achieved by using a wedge called the ''recsegőék'' (control wedge, or literally "buzzer wedge") that pushes the drone string downward. In traditional ''tekerő'' playing, the buzzing bridge is controlled entirely by the wrist of the player and has a very different sound and rhythmic possibilities from those available on French instruments.

=== Notable hurdy gurdy players ===
{{unsourced|section|date=June 2025}}
{{promotional|section|date=June 2025}}

[[Sergio González Prats]] is a Spanish musicologist and performer specializing in historically informed performance of Early Music. He is the director of Saüc Ensemble and is internationally recognized for his work in broadcasting the hurdy gurdy. In addition to his concert activity, he has played a key role in popularizing the instrument through digital platforms, particularly via his YouTube channel Zanfoneando, which has surpassed 500,000 views.

Formerly of Blowzabella, [[Nigel Eaton]] is one of the most internationally recognized hurdy-gurdy players, bridging traditional and modern repertoires, he played hurdy-gurdy for Led Zeppelin and Loreena McKennitt.

[[Efrén López]] is a multi-instrumentalist exploring modal music from the Mediterranean and Middle East, with the hurdy-gurdy playing a central role in his approach, famous for projects like L'Ham de Foc or his solo works with Stelios Petrakis and other musicians

[[Tobie Miller]] is a Canadian hurdy-gurdy player and early music specialist known for her work with the Baroque hurdy-gurdy. Trained at McGill University and the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, she is the founder of Ensemble Danguy and has performed with ensembles such as Les Musiciens de Saint Julien, Miller is also active as an educator and has released acclaimed solo recordings, including transcriptions of Bach for the hurdy-gurdy.

=== Regional types ===

Regional types of hurdy-gurdies since the Renaissance can also be classified based on wheel size and the presence or absence (and type) of a buzzing bridge. The following description of various types uses this framework:<ref name="NagyArticle">{{cite journal | last1 = Lommel | first1 = Arle | last2 = Nagy | first2 = Balázs | title = The Form, History and Classification of the ''Tekerőlant'' (Hungarian Hurdy-Gurdy) | journal = The Galpin Society Journal | volume = 60 | pages = 181–190 | publisher = The Galpin Society | location = London and New York | date = April 2007 | jstor = i25163886}}</ref><ref name="NagyBook">Description of types based on {{cite book | author-last = Nagy | author-first = Balázs | year = 2006 | title = Tekerőlantosok könyve: Hasznós kézikönyv tekerőlant-játékosok és érdeklődők számára / The Hurdy-Gurdy Handbook: A Practical Handbook for Players and Aficionados of the Tekerő (Hungarian Hurdy-Gurdy) | publisher = Hagyományok Háza / Hungarian Heritage House | location = Budapest | isbn = 963-7363-10-6 | url = http://www.musicart.hu/book/index.htm | access-date = 2013-10-23 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160310112256/http://www.musicart.hu/book/index.htm | archive-date = 2016-03-10 | url-status = dead
}}</ref>{{rp|23–40}}

Small-wheeled (wheel diameter less than 14&nbsp;cm, or about 5.5&nbsp;inches) instruments are traditionally found in Central and Eastern Europe. They feature a broad keybox and the drone strings run within the keybox. Because of the small size of the wheel these instruments most commonly have three strings: one melody string, one tenor drone, and one bass drone. They sometimes have up to five strings.

* ''String-adjusted buzzing bridge''
** ''German pear-shaped Drehleier.'' Two to three drone strings and one or two chromatic melody strings. Characteristic V-shaped pegbox. Often extensively decorated. The type of buzzing bridge found on this instrument usually has the adjustment peg set in a block next to the string, rather than in the tailpiece (as is typical of French instruments).
** ''lira/vevlira'' (Sweden). Revived in the twentieth century based on historical examples. Two body forms: an elongated boxy shape and a long pear shape. Usually diatonic, but has been extended with a chromatic range with the additional keys placed ''below'' the normal diatonic range (the opposite of most chromatic hurdy-gurdy keyboards).
* ''Wedge-adjusted buzzing bridge''
** ''tekerőlant (Hungarian)''. Usually two drones (sometimes three) + one or two chromatic melody strings. The broad keybox is often carved or decorated extensively.
** ''Tyrolian Drehleier (Austria).'' Very similar to the tekerőlant, but usually has a diatonic keyboard. May be the historical source for the tekerő.<ref name="NagyArticle"/>
* ''No buzzing bridge''[[file:SK Ninera.JPG|thumb|Slovak-style hurdy-gurdy ([[ninera]]) made and played by Tibor Koblicek]]
** ''lira korbowa'' (Poland). Guitar-shaped. Two drones + one diatonic melody string.
** ''lira/лира'' (Russia). Guitar-shaped. Two drones + one diatonic melody string. Evenly spaced keyboard.
** ''lira/ліра'' or ''relia/реля'' (Ukraine). Guitar-shaped. Two drones + one diatonic melody string. Two body types: carved from a single piece of wood and guitar-shaped with transverse pegs and mult-piece construction with vertical pegs. Evenly spaced keyboard.
** ''[[ninera]]/kolovratec'' (Slovakia). Guitar-shaped. Two drones + one diatonic melody string. Broad keybox. Superficially similar to the tekerő, but lacks the buzzing bridge.
** ''German tulip-shaped Drehleier.'' Three drones + one diatonic melody string.

Large-wheeled instruments (wheel diameters between 14 and 17&nbsp;cm, or about 5.5{{snd}}6.6&nbsp;inches) are traditionally found in Western Europe. These instruments generally have a narrow keybox with drone strings that run outside the keybox. They also generally have more strings, and doubling or tripling of the melody string is common. Some modern instruments have as many as fifteen strings played by the wheel, although the most common number is six.
* ''String-adjusted buzzing bridge''
** ''vielle à roue'' (French). Usually four drones + two melody strings, but often extended to have more strings. Two body forms: guitar-bodied and lute-backed (''vielle en luth''). French instruments generally have a narrow key box with drone strings that run on the outside of the key box. Traditional French instruments have two melody strings and four drone strings with one buzzing bridge. Contemporary instruments often have more: the instrument of well-known player [[:fr:Gilles Chabenat|Gilles Chabenat]] has four melody strings fixed to a viola tailpiece, and four drone strings on a cello tailpiece. This instrument also has three trompette strings.
** ''Niněra'' (Czech). Guitar-shaped. Two forms: one has a standard drone-melody arrangement, while the other runs the drone strings between the melody strings in the keybox. Both diatonic and chromatic forms are found. Other mechanisms for adjusting the amount of "buzz" on the trompette string.
* ''No buzzing bridge''
** ''Zanfona'' (Spain). Typically guitar-shaped body, with three melody strings, and two drone strings. Some older examples had a diatonic keyboard, and most modern models have a chromatic keyboard. Zanfonas are usually tuned to the key of C major, with the melody strings tuned in unison to G above the middle C on the piano. The drones are: the ''bordonciño'' in G (one octave below the melody strings) and the ''bordón'' in C (two octaves below middle C). Sometimes, two of the melody strings are in unison, and the remaining string is tuned an octave lower, in unison with the ''bordonciño'' (this string was sometimes known as the ''human voice'', because it sounds as if someone is humming the melody an octave lower).
** ''niněra'' (Czech). Guitar-shaped. Two forms: one has a standard drone-melody arrangement, while the other runs the drone strings between the melody strings in the keybox. Both diatonic and chromatic forms are found.

== Electric and electronic versions ==
[[file:MidiGurdy.jpg|thumb|Electronic hurdy-gurdy MidiGurdy]]

In [[pop music]], especially in the popular [[neo-medieval music]], electric hurdy-gurdies are used, wherein [[Electromagnetic induction|electro magnetic]] [[Pickup (music technology)|pickups]] convert the vibration of its strings into electrical signals. Similar to [[electric guitar]]s, the [[Analog signal|signals]] are transmitted to an [[instrument amplifier]] or reproduced by [[synthesizer]] in a modified form.<ref>{{cite web | last = Izci | first = Aylin |url = http://www.enemy.at/2017/alles-andere-als-altmodisch-die-elektrische-drehleier/ |title = Alles andere als altmodisch: die elektrische Drehleier | website = enemy.at | date = 2017-06-23 |access-date = 2018-12-08 | language = de | trans-title = All-other than old-fashioned: the electric hurdy-gurdy }}</ref>

Electronic hurdy-gurdies, on the other hand, have no strings. The signals for the melody strings are generated electronically by the keys and also in combination with the rotation of the wheel. The signals for drone strings and the snares are generated by the crank movements of the wheel. Depending on the technical equipment of the instrument, the [[Digital signal (signal processing)|digital audio signal]] can be output directly via an integrated [[Processor (computing)|processor]] and [[sound card]]. The data exchange of the musical information between the hurdy-gurdy and connected computers, [[sampling (music)|samplers]] or synthesizers are managed via [[musical instrument digital interface|MIDI interface]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Banshee in Avalon |url=https://en.audiofanzine.com/misc-midi-controller/marcus-weseloh/midigurdy/news/a.play,n.19378.html |title=A Hurdy Gurdy and MIDI controller |website=audiofanzine |date=2014-11-27 |access-date=2018-12-08 }}</ref>

== Musicians ==
{{main|List of hurdy-gurdy musicians}}

== See also ==

* [[Bowed clavier]]
* [[Donskoy ryley]]
* [[Dulcigurdy]]
* [[Kaisatsuko]]
* [[Nyckelharpa]]
* [[Recordings featuring the hurdy-gurdy]]
* [[Viola organista]]
* [[The Gizmo]]

== References ==

{{refs}}

== Further reading ==

* "[https://www.academia.edu/8383525/Hurdy_gurdy_Contemporary_Destinations?auto=download Hurdy-gurdy: contemporary destinations]" (2012), dissertation by Piotr Nowotnik
* "[https://minerva-access.unimelb.edu.au/handle/11343/191325 Hurdy-gurdy: new articulations]" (2016), dissertation by Piotr Nowotnik

== External links ==
{{commonscat}}
{{EB1911 poster|Hurdy-Gurdy}}

* [https://www.ted.com/talks/caroline_phillips_hurdy_gurdy_for_beginners Hurdy-gurdy for beginners]  (video), a [[TED talks|TED talk]] by Caroline Phillips with Mixel Ducau
* [http://ludowe.instrumenty.edu.pl/en/instruments-/categories/category/318 A demonstration of hurdy-gurdies from Poland] from the Polish  National Institute of Music and Dance

{{Traditional French musical instruments}}
{{Hungarian Folk Music}}
{{Polish musical instruments}}
{{Medieval music}}
{{Renaissance music}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Hurdy-gurdies| ]]
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[[Category:French musical instruments]]
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