Hurdy-Gurdy

musical instrument · wheel-powered · medieval · folk music

A spinning wheel. The hurdy-gurdy has a hand-cranked wheel covered in sticky rosin (the same stuff violinists use) that rubs against the strings to make them vibrate and sing.

A keyboard controls pitch. Small wooden or metal wedges called tangents press against the strings when you press keys, changing the note just like pressing strings on a guitar changes the sound.

Sounds like a violin. Because the rosined wheel works like a violin bow, the notes coming out sound remarkably similar to what a violin would play.

Hollow inside for sound. Like other string instruments, the hurdy-gurdy has a hollow wooden body with a soundboard that makes the vibrations of the strings loud enough to hear clearly.

One musician, many sounds. You can crank and play at the same time, letting one person create melodies with both hands while the wheel does the bowing work.