How much does a hurdy-gurdy cost?

Buying a new hurdy gurdy requires patience. The best makers are usually backordered, which means you’ll have to wait a bit before receiving your new instrument. Plus, they’re not cheap. For a good hurdy gurdy, even a basic one, you should expect to pay at least $1,000.

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Is it easy to learn the hurdy gurdy?

The hurdy-gurdy, like many other instruments is very easy to play some good sounding music on, but also provides years’ worth of learning if you want to delve deeply into it. It is easier than fretted instruments to get started on because you don’t have to learn to press down the strings.

Did Led Zeppelin use a hurdy-gurdy?

Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page can be seen playing a hurdy-gurdy in the Zeppelin movie The Song Remains the Same, sitting in front of his 18th century manor at Plumpton, Sussex. The tune played is called “Autumn Lake”. Page and Plant are also seen using a hurdy-gurdy in a 1994 recording of Gallows Pole.

How old is the original version of the hurdy gurdy?

The hurdy-gurdy was first mentioned in the 10th century as the organistrum. It was then a church instrument played by two men, one fingering the keys, one turning the wheel. Secular, one-man forms, called symphonia, appeared in the 13th century.

What country is the hurdy gurdy from?

The hurdy-gurdy tradition is well-developed particularly in Hungary, Poland, Belarus, Southeastern France and Ukraine. In Ukraine, it is known as the lira or relia. It was and still is played by professional, often blind, itinerant musicians known as lirnyky.

How long does it take to learn to play the hurdy gurdy?

If you don’t have „an ear“ for music, it will be much harder. But in any case I would still say, that the Gurdy is a good starter instrument. In my case it took me 2 weeks to learn all the basics on the Gurdy, but I used to play piano for more than a decade before, which definitely helped.

What does hurdy-gurdy stand for?

Definition of hurdy-gurdy 1 : a stringed instrument in which sound is produced by the friction of a rosined wheel turned by a crank against the strings and the pitches are varied by keys. 2 : any of various mechanical musical instruments (such as the barrel organ)

Where can I buy a hurdy gurdy?

Nowadays, the instrument has a small but passionate fanbase in early and folk music circles. Even with that fanbase, though, they’re niche instruments. You can’t just go to your local Guitar Center and expect to find hurdy gurdies for sale. Luckily, there are a lot of great options for the aspiring hurdy gurdy player.

Who builds hurdy gurdies?

Stanislaw Nogaj (Brzozow, Poland) – Nogaj is a prolific builder based out of Poland. He builds a number of models, and has also designed a pickup/preamp system that he can install in his hurdy gurdies. Chris Allen and Sabina Kormlyo (Merthyr Tydfil, Wales) – Allen and Kormlyo build a variety of historical instruments.

Why are hurdy gurdies so hard to find?

Another thing you’ll notice is that they usually have a lot of inventory. It takes a while to make a hurdy gurdy, and good makers are hard to find. Usually, they have a months-if not years-long waiting list. A maker with a bunch of unsold instruments is either making them too quickly or isn’t very popular.

Is the hurdy guitar a niche instrument?