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The Hurdy gurdy belongs to the family of mechanical violins or keyed
fiddles - a family which includes the Swedish 'nyckelharpa', a keyed
string instrument played with a short bow. The hurdy gurdy is not, however,
played by a straight bow. A player 'bows' 3 to 6 strings simultaneously
by turning a crank attached to a rosined wheel. Two of these strings
will be melody strings (tuned in either unison or an octave apart) upon
which notes can be played by pressing keys plus two or more drone strings.
The
origins of the hurdy gurdy are unknown. It certainly evolved in Europe,
but from what instrument is not certain - perhaps from one of the stringed
and bowed instruments brought to Europe by the Moors. The earliest known
form was the 12th century 'organistrum', a church instrument so large
that one person turned the crank and other played the keys. During
the 13th century the instrument was redesigned to be playable by one
person. It was soon picked up by itinerant musicians and became known
as a 'Symphonia'. Over the next century or two church use declined and
popular and dance use increased and many different regional variations
appeared. By the seventeenth century the instrument was known all over
Europe. In Germany it came to be called a 'drehleier' or 'turning harp',
in Italy a 'Ghironda' or 'turning devise', in Hungary a 'tekerőlant'
or 'turning lute' (and colloquially as a 'nyenyere', because of the
sound it makes). In France it came to be called a 'vielle à roue'
or The instruments played by John Garden in the band Earthly Delights are the lute-back 'Pimpard' pictured above-top-left and (though it is rare that he take this one along) the guitar-shaped 'Varguain' pictured above left. Both instruments are 18th century French style instruments made by Tim Guster of Belair, South Australia ph. 08 8278 7892, and John recommends Tim's work highly. To listen to some of John's tunes please visit our audio sample page and to order your own copy of book and CDs visit our CDs page.
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© 1995 - 2005 Earthly Delights ABN:
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Aylwen
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most instruments one drone string passes over a detached bridge (sometimes
called a dog or 'trompette'), which is adjusted so that a sharp movements
while turning the crank sends a vibration into the string, causing
the bridge to vibrate on the sound board and generate a buzzing accompaniment.
An instrument may also have passive drone strings not in contact with
the wheel but stretched the length of the sound board to pick up and
resound notes. 
'violin with a wheel' and under King Louis XIV (1660 to 1715) began
to feature in courtly amusements - often played by women in the role
of milkmaids accompanying bagpipe players in the role of shepherds.
During this period of French courtly favour many courtiers across Europe
became accomplished players, composer such as Vivaldi and Mozart wrote
for the instrument and makers started to build the mechanisms into better-sounding
guitar and lute bodies and decorate the instruments with inlay and carvings
(some makers experimented with replacing the strings and wheel with
organ pipes and bellows producing a 'Lira Organizzant'). The French
revolution ended the instruments period of courtly favour but in the
century which followed (a period when many people were migrating from
the country to the cities to find work) the instrument enjoyed much
favour in big city wine bars and dance halls. In the last decades of
the 19th century the instrument began to loose its foot hold in the
cities - its role as dance instrument being taken by diatonic and chromatic
accordions and role as busking instrument taken over by the barrel organ
and monkey. In some less metropolitan parts of Europe, however, it remained
in use and in recent years has been enjoying a revival. 
