#hurdy-gurdy instrument

[musicandpsychology]

The Hurdy-Gurdy Player (Le Joueur de Vielle) at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Did you know that the hurdy-gurdy is a string instrument that has been around since the Middle Ages? Initially, it was used for sacred music, but over time, it became famous for playing popular and folk music.

It even found favour at the French court! Although it experienced a decline in popularity, it is currently experiencing a resurgence and can be found in various genres, from traditional folk to progressive rock and avant-garde music.

Interestingly, the reason for its name is unknown, but it is speculated that it may be related to the sound it produces.

Unlike other string instruments, the hurdy-gurdy creates sound by rubbing its strings with a rosined wheel. It also has drone strings that create a buzzing accompaniment to the tune, similar to bagpipes that create a buzzing accompaniment.

If you want to learn more about the hurdy-gurdy, click the link here.

[mortiscausa]

possible sticker sheet, mayhap?

[b33tlejules]

PLEASE talk about your hurdy gurdy fixation I've also had one for years and I barely see anything about it

Oh my god thank you for enabling me.

Genuinely such a cool instrument with a unique sound that I can tell "oh shit this song has a hurdy gurdy in it". It's been a dream of mine to either make enough money to buy my own or work together with a friend to build one from scratch. No, neither of us know how to build nor know anyone who has experience building this instrument from scratch. It'll be a Fuck It We Ball kind of approach.

I've had a passive interest in old middle eastern/european instruments for a while (mainly percussion) but I think the album I listened to that really kicked my interest into overdrive was Guilhem Desq's 2018 album "Visions", which was composed and performed using only the hurdy gurdy and his voice. Truly one of my favorite albums of all time, each piece evokes such a strong image in my brain and there's so many techniques and aughghghgh. Listen to it if you haven't. Also listen to his more recent album Storm (2022), it's got added percussion, brass, and vocalizations, but it's really good. Visions is still my fav though.

When I traveled to Italy this past summer I actually got to see some pretty old hurdy gurdies in person and it was really cool!! It's so funny seeing an instrument that used to be big enough to require two people in order to play it shrunk down to be perfectly lap sized. Humble creatures.

[canisalbus]

Have you seen black sails? I don't want to spoil it but I imagine the "they live" au being similar to a certain plot in that show. Bittersweet and you're not sure if it's really a *good* life but at least they're together.....

.

[lolotheparagon]

The Princess Prodigy is one of my fave episodes of the show cos Vivian is already one of my fave side characters (as she's grown from a shy princess to a badass normal princess with musical talent to boot) and I think Sofia and Vivian are super cute together so I had to draw them rocking out together in their school band outfits from that episode

Seriously, this show is super precious. Please watch it

[a-sentient-cup]

Someone should give me a hurdy gurdy, as a treat

[wildbeautifuldamned]

ANTIQUE 20th CENTURY MEISSEN MONKEY MUSICIAN FIGURE PLAYING THE HURDY-GURDY ebay 19anit

[another-little-hippie]

thanks @dzdndcnfsd for the suggestion!

the instrument i think you should play based off your fav lz member

Jonsey

Bonzo

Robert

Jimmy

[malottie]

niche take this will reach no one void hear my scream

the french name of the hurdy gurdy is dumb and i hate it. "vielle à roue" you dumb fuck. no folklore. no whimsy. litteraly just means 'string instrument with a wheel'. should've been called "ourdi gourdi". that rocks. other than sounding way more fun, parts of it sound like other words that have somewhat related meaning but also somehow zero etymological relationship ('hurdy gurdy' apparently originating from imitation of the instrument's sound)

"ourdir" means to prepare carefuly, often said about political plots or sometimes, cloth or strings; "être dégourdi" means to be resourceful, to know how to use one's skills and knowledge, and "gourde" originally describes a gourd, squash or calabash shaped container

you could then invent a false etymology combining these three words mixed together, saying that it comes from jesters and court musicians, often somewhat involved in court drama and described as sly, smart and skillfull in popular tales, and the gourd shaped instrument they would often play at receptions. of course it's wrong - it's nowhere close to the actual etymology, and the hurdy gurdy, which only relatively recently became more compact and stopped being a two-men's job, was really more a church instrument, while the court enternainers' iconic instrument is the lute, or other guitar-adjacent instruments like the mandolin

but it's just so much more fun. it feels right. it feels interesting and insightful. it for sure is not. but the simple thought exercise of making all this up made me really happy actually this is so fun

longue vie à l'ourdi gourdi

[inkdragon42]

The Lord of the Rings - THE RIDERS OF ROHAN (hurdy-gurdy instrumental)

If ur a nerd like me, give this a listen, jus trust me :)

This gal has some GORGEOUS cover songs and her own band, featuring the hurdy-gurdy too!

Sounds best w headphones!

[rainbowcolored7]

Rewatching Black Sails and GOD I forgot how much the opening theme fucks so hard 😩🤌🏻

[rubystims]

source | source | source source | source | source source | source | source

a hurdy gurdy and cristal bachet gifset for @octastims !!

[hurdy-girly]

GOOD GOLLY THE HURDY IS GURDYING!! THE STRINGS ARE PLAYING! THE BRIDGE IS BUZZING!!!!! THE WHEEL IS SPINNING THE KEYS ARE PRESSING THE SOUND IS SOUNDING AND I AM IN PARADISE

(Aka me and my dad have been working on building my hurdy gurdy for almost two years now and we’re almost done!!)

[mahgnib]

Illustrator and source unknown

[ultimateinstrumentpoll]

why you should vote hurdy-gurdy

both an accordion and a violin

drone sound <3

can be used in many genres (folk music !!)

why you should vote bassoon

sounds fun and fun to play

[caprigender]

Im looking up concertina prices again

because that’s something I can definitely learn to do with all of this free time I’m just swimming in