Hurdy Gurdy
The Hurdy Gurdy is a stringed instrument which is “bowed” with a turning wheel. The is sound somewhere between a violin and the bag-pipes, due to its drone strings. Mechanically it is quite a complex instrument.
Drone Strings
The Hurdy Gurdy is played by turning a handle at the bottom of the instrument which is connected to a wheel. Resin is applied to the wheel in order to resonate the strings like a bow when the wheel is turned. Before playing the performer can decide which drone strings will be used by placing the unwanted strings on a raised section of the bridge.
Buzzer and Trompette
The trompette is a higher (C3) drone string. This string includes a “buzzing” bridge which gives the Hurdy Gurdy it’s characteristic rhythmic pulsing sound. A slight jolt of the wheel whilst playing will trigger the bridge to buzz. The trompette can also be intersected by a second pivoting bridge which takes the string up by a whole tone.
Chanterelle
The chanterelles are the melody strings. For this portfolio version there is just one chanterelle string. Its pitch is changed via wooden keys on the side of the instrument which intersect the string at different points.
Key Noises
Part of the Hurdy Gurdy’s characteristic sound is the noise made by operating the wooden keys for the chanterelle. These can be altered in volume or turned off completely in the kontakt instrument. A technique sometimes used by performers for more expression, is to over press the wooden keys for the chanterelles hence causing a bending effect. This can be done using MIDI pitch bend wheel to bend upward in the kontakt instrument. In keeping with the instrument, notes can only be bent upward and only the chanterelle string will be effected.
For more details of how the kontakt instrument works please see the manual here: portfolio_manual.pdf
For more information on the Hurdy Gurdy in general please see here.
