Sounds of a hurdy-gurdy. Hurdy-gurdy: musical instrument (photo)

Wheel lyre. Hurdy Gurdy (hardy-hardy). Organistrum

Ogranistrum - under this name the hurdy-gurdy appeared in Europe about a thousand years ago. This folk musical instrument is rightfully considered the predecessor of the nyckelharpa (nyckelharpa is a Swedish folk musical instrument). Hurdy-gurdy (hardy-gardy) - they call it in England, vielle a roue - in France, nin?ra kolovratec - in the Czech Republic. Russians, Belarusians and Ukrainians began to call it ryla or lyra.
Until the 14th century, the hurdy-gurdy was very bulky (up to two meters) and to play it the musician needed an assistant to rotate the handle.
The instrument was used in monasteries; church music was performed on it. By the 15th century, the hurdy-gurdy had lost popularity and became an instrument of beggars and vagabonds, often blind and crippled, who performed songs, poems, and fairy tales to simple accompaniment.

Georges de la Tour. "Playing a hurdy-gurdy with a ribbon." 1640

David Vinckboons. "The Blind Hurdy-Gurdy Player".

During the Baroque period, a new flowering of the instrument began. In the 18th century, the hurdy-gurdy became a fashionable toy for French aristocrats who were fond of rural life.

Pieter Bruegel Jr., " Hurdy-Gurdy Player» 1608

With the establishment of the hurdy-gurdy as an accompaniment to dances, the cumbersome instrument was replaced by a more portable one. There are modifications of this instrument - an instrument with a regular bow instead of a wheel (Nykelharpa in Sweden and Norway), or with a wheel, but without keys, with a regular violin fingering (Bauern Lyre).

Nikelharpa- Swedish folk musical instrument.

In Russia, the hurdy-gurdy became widespread in the 17th century. The instrument was mastered by beggars and blind tramps, “walkers.” In order not to “incur the wrath of the king and God,” they performed spiritual poems to the sounds of their lyres.

Teodor Aksentovich. "Lyrnik and the girl." 1900

Kazimir Pokhvalsky. "Lyrnik in front of the hut". 1887

Vasily Navozov. "Song of the Lyre Player".

Sound playback process

Three strings of different tunings are stretched over the body (having a boat- or figure-eight shape), placed in a special box. A small keyboard with 8-11 keys is attached to the side of the drawer. That is, the hurdy-gurdy is the first stringed instrument that uses a keyboard.
The performer holds the lyre on his lap, presses the keys with his left hand, and with his right hand turns the handle, which sets in motion a special wheel covered with hair, leather and rubbed with rosin. The wheel, through a hole in the soundboard, rubs against the strings and makes them sound.
Most of its strings (3-11) sound simultaneously, vibrating as a result of friction against the wheel rotated by the right hand. One to four separate strings play the melody, and the remaining strings produce a monotonous hum (the so-called bourdon).
The sound of a hurdy-gurdy is powerful, sad, monotonous, with a slight nasal tint. To soften the sound, the strings at the point of contact with the wheel rim were wrapped with flax or wool fibers. The sound quality of the instrument also depended on the precise alignment of the wheel; in addition, it had to be smooth and well rosinized.

Kazimir Pokhvalsky. "Lyrnik". 1885

In the nineteenth century in Ukraine there were special schools of lyre players, which enjoyed great success among the population of that time. Senior students of such schools underwent practice, playing in neighboring villages at weddings and bazaars. The income received - money and food as payment for training and maintenance - was given to the mentor. Upon completion of training, the musician was examined for knowledge of the repertoire and mastery of the instrument. Old, experienced lyre players - “grandfathers” - took part in the testing ceremony. The teacher gave a new lyre player who successfully passed the exam a “vizvilka” (probably from the word “vizvil” - “liberation”) - the right to independent play and an instrument. At the same time, during the process of initiation into lyre players, the teacher hung the lyre intended as a reward for the student around his neck, and the student covered it with his scroll. Then the belt of the instrument, into the resonator slot of the body of which a coin was dropped (probably for good luck), was thrown around the student’s neck.

Jules Richomme. "The Hurdy-Gurdy Girl".

During the years of Soviet power, the lyre was significantly improved. For example, an instrument designed by Ivan Mikhailovich Sklyar has nine strings that are tuned in minor thirds and a button accordion-type keyboard mechanism. The wooden wheel was replaced with a plastic transmission belt, as a result of which the lyre received a more even sound. The degree of pressure of the tape on the string is changed using a special device, which changes the sound strength of the instrument.
Currently, the lyre has practically disappeared from folk music, but some musicians have not consigned the instrument to oblivion. The hurdy-gurdy is part of the Belarusian State Orchestra and the orchestral group of the State Folk Choir of Belarus. The musicians of the Pesnyary ensemble also use a hurdy-gurdy in their performances.

Ensemble "Pesnyary".

In Russia, the hurdy-gurdy is played by: multi-instrumentalist Mitya Kuznetsov (“Ethno-Forge”), musician and composer Andrei Vinogradov, the group “Raznotravie”, etc.

Group "Forbs"

MITYA KUZNETSOV– folk musician, composer, multi-instrumentalist.

Hardy-hardy can also be heard abroad, for example, in Ritchie Blackmore’s project “Blackmore’s Night”.

Eluveitie - Pagan Fest II, Paris 16/12/2007

The article is compiled based on materials from the sites:

On the knees. Most of its strings (6-8) sound simultaneously, vibrating as a result of friction against the wheel rotated by the right hand. One or two separate strings, the sounding part of which is shortened or lengthened with the help of rods with the left hand, reproduce the melody, and the remaining strings emit a monotonous hum.

The sound of a hurdy-gurdy is powerful, sad, monotonous, with a slight nasal tint. To soften the sound, the strings at the point of contact with the wheel rim were wrapped with flax or wool fibers. The sound quality of the instrument also depended on the precise alignment of the wheel; in addition, it had to be smooth and well rosinized.

In England, this instrument is called hurdy-gurdy (hardy-gardy, also found in Russian), in Germany - drehleier, in France - vielle a roue, in Italy - ghironda or lira tedesca, in Hungary - tekero. In Russian it is called a hurdy-gurdy, in Belarusian - lіra, in Ukrainian - kolіsna lіra or relya, and in Polish - lira korbowa.

Device

hurdy-gurdy- a three-stringed instrument with a deep, figure-eight-shaped wooden body. Both decks are flat, the sides are curved and wide. At the top there is a head with wooden pegs for tuning the strings. Attached to the body is a short pegbox, dug out or assembled from separate boards, often ending in a curl.

Inside the body, in its lower part, there is a wooden wheel (it is mounted on an axis passed through the shell and rotated by a handle), which acts as an “endless bow.” The wheel rim protrudes out through a slot in the deck. To protect it from damage, an arc-shaped fuse made of bast is installed above it.

The top soundboard has resonator holes cut out in the form of brackets or “f-holes”; On it there is also a longitudinally located key-nut mechanism, consisting of a box with 12-13 keys, which are narrow wooden strips with protrusions. When you press the keys, the protrusions, like the clavichord's tangents, touch the string, dividing it into two parts: the sounding part (the wheel is the protrusion) and the non-sounding part (the protrusion is the upper saddle). The protrusions are strengthened so that they can be rotated to move left and right and in this way align the scale when tuning it within a semitone.

The lyre has 3 core strings: melodic, called spivanitsa (or melody), and 2 bourdon - bass and pidbasok (or tenor and bajorok). The melodic string passes through the box, the bourdon strings pass outside it. All strings are in close contact with the rim of the wheel, which is rubbed with resin (rosin) and, when rotated, makes them sound. In order for the sound to be even, the wheel must have a smooth surface and precise alignment. The melody is played using keys inserted into the side cutouts of the box. The keys have protrusions (tangents), which, when pressed against the string, change its length, and therefore the pitch of the sound. The number of keys on different lyres ranges from 9 to 12.

Scale diatonic. Bourdon strings are tuned as follows: pidbass - an octave below the melodic strings, bass - a fifth below the pidbass. At the request of the performer, one or both bourdon strings can be turned off from the game. To do this, they are pulled away from the wheel and secured to pins.

Playing the lyre

Before the game The performer throws a strap attached to the body over his shoulders, places the instrument on his knees, with the peg box to the left and tilted away from himself, so that the free keys fall away from the string under their own weight. With his right hand, he rotates the wheel evenly, but not quickly, by the handle, and presses the keys with the fingers of his left hand. The nature of playing the lyre is similar to playing the bagpipes and whistle; all three have continuously sounding bourdons. The sound quality largely depends on the friction wheel: it must have precise alignment, a smooth smooth surface and good lubrication with resin, otherwise the sounds will “float” and “howl”.

During the game The instrument is placed on the knees with the head to the left and tilted, due to which the keys, under the influence of their own gravity, fall away from the strings. To make the instrument easier to hold, the musician puts a strap around his neck, attached to the body of the lyre. Rotating the wheel with his right hand, he presses the keys with the fingers of his left hand. The lyre sounds strong, but somewhat nasal and buzzing.

When playing while sitting the instrument is held on the knees, when playing standing- hung on a belt over the shoulder, with the neck to the left and tilted so that the keys, under the influence of their own gravity, move away from the melodic string with protrusions. Rotating the wheel with your right hand and pressing the fingers on the keys with your left hand, perform a melody; The bourdon strings sound continuously (unless they are muted). The sound of the lyre is buzzing, nasal. Its quality largely depends on the wheel: it must have precise alignment, a completely smooth rim and a well-rubbed resin (rosin). The lyre's scale is diatonic, its volume is about two octaves.

Story

In the X-XIII centuries. the hurdy-gurdy was a bulky instrument ( organistrum), which was played by two people. The instrument was used in monasteries; church music was performed on it. By the 15th century, the hurdy-gurdy had lost popularity and became an instrument of beggars and vagabonds, often blind and crippled, who performed songs, poems, and fairy tales to simple accompaniment. During the Baroque period, a new flowering of the instrument began. In the 18th century, the hurdy-gurdy became a fashionable toy for French aristocrats who were fond of rural life.

Written information about the existence of the hurdy-gurdy in Russia dates back to the 17th century. (Tales of contemporaries about Dmitry the Pretender). Perhaps it was brought here from Ukraine. Soon the lyre became quite widespread among the people, as well as in court and boyar musical life. The lyre was used mainly by wandering musicians-singers (most often walking kaliki), who sang folk songs, spiritual poems and performed dances to its accompaniment. Nowadays the lyre is rare.

The lyre was mainly distributed among wandering professional musicians, who sang spiritual poems, everyday and especially humorous songs, and sometimes thoughts to its accompaniment. Among the lyre players there were many blind men who walked with guides from village to village, from city to city, to market squares and wedding feasts. The lyre was considered a more suitable instrument for playing at weddings than the lyre, due to its loud sound and cheerful repertoire.

In Ukraine there were special schools of lyre players with a fairly large number of students. So, for example, in the 60s. XIX century in the village Up to thirty people at a time practiced braiding (in Podil) with the lyre player M. Kolesnichenko. The eldest of them underwent practice, playing in neighboring villages at bazaars and weddings, and they gave the money and food they earned to the mentor as payment for training and maintenance, since they were completely dependent on him. Having completed his studies, the young musician took an exam on his knowledge of the repertoire and proficiency in playing the lyre. The exam took place with the participation of “grandfathers” - old experienced lyre players. To those who passed the test, the teacher gave the instrument and the so-called “vizvilka” (obviously, from the word “vizvil” - “liberation”) - the right to play independently. Initiation into lyre players was accompanied by a special ritual: the teacher hung a lyre on himself, intended as a reward for the student, the student covered it with his scroll, after which the instrument's strap was thrown from the teacher's neck to the student's neck, and the teacher lowered a coin into the resonator slot of the body - for good luck.

The lyre workers united into groups (corporations), and each of them, headed by a tsekhmister (tsekhmeister), or nomad, had its own strictly defined territory of activity; playing in other places was prohibited. Violators of the order were subjected to severe punishment (including deprivation of the right to play), and their instrument was taken away.

Until the end of the last - beginning of this century, the lira was so popular in Ukraine that N.V. Lysenko even suggested that it would eventually replace. However, this did not materialize: it withstood the “competition” and received further development, and the lyre came to almost complete oblivion. The reason for this was the limitations of its musical, expressive and technical means and timbre specificity - nasality. But the most important reason, undoubtedly, is that during Soviet times the social environment in which the instrument existed disappeared.

During the Soviet years, the lyre was subjected to various improvements. A very original instrument was designed by I.M. Sklyar. It has 9 strings tuned to minor thirds and a button accordion type keyboard mechanism, thanks to which an accordion player can quickly and easily learn to play it. The wooden wheel has been replaced with a plastic transmission belt, providing a smoother sound. Using a special device, the degree of pressure of the tape on the string can be changed, thereby achieving a change in the sound strength of the instrument. Improved lyres occasionally find use in ensembles and orchestras of folk instruments.

It's time for an extraordinary takeoff The instrument survived about two hundred years ago in France, when professional musicians became interested in it. Many works were written specifically for the organistrum.

The hurdy-gurdy in modern times

Now the instrument has practically disappeared from folk music, but not all musicians have consigned it to oblivion.

In Belarus, the hurdy-gurdy is part of the State Orchestra and the orchestral group of the State Folk Choir of Belarus, and is used by musicians of the Pesnyary ensemble. In Russia it is played by: musician and composer Andrei Vinogradov, multi-instrumentalist Mitya Kuznetsov (“Ethno-Kuznya”), a group from Rybinsk “Raznotravie”, etc.

Abroad, hardy-hardy can be heard, for example, at the concerts of R. Blackmore in the “Blackmore’s Night” project.

The hurdy-gurdy (hardy-hardy) was used by former Led Zeppelin members Jimmy Page and Robert Plant in the joint project “No Quarter. Unleaded." The instrument was played by performer Nigel Eaton. Currently, the hurdy-gurdy can be found among the arsenal of musical instruments of the group In Extremo (in particular, in their song “Captus Est” from the single “Nur Ihr Allein”).

Video: Hurdy wheel on video + sound

Thanks to these videos, you can get acquainted with the instrument, watch a real game on it, listen to its sound, and feel the specifics of the technique:

Sale: where to buy/order?

The encyclopedia does not yet contain information about where you can buy or order this instrument. You can change this!

hurdy wheels

Today we will talk about an ancient, ancient musical instrument called a hurdy-gurdy; with an explanation at the end of the article about what, in fact, we are talking about.

Some of my friends guess that I have been involved in folk culture for about 30 years now - albeit not professionally; and during all this time I hardly used musical instruments. I have some prejudice towards them - as one famous folklorist says; “In order to preserve folklore, all button accordions must be burned.” I extend this relationship to other instruments. :))) But there is one to whom there is a special attitude. Back in the early 1980s, Pokrovsky’s ensemble came to us in Nsk, where someone played a hurdy-gurdy and sang spiritual poems to it; I think it was Andrei Kotov, but I could be wrong. The lyre is a special instrument, and quite rare, so for all the years “in folklore” I didn’t really know what it was and where it came from, until I specifically tried to figure it out.

The history of this instrument goes back centuries. Its prototype appeared in... the 10th-12th centuries in Western Europe, and it was then called , or “organist”. Two musicians played it - one turned a handle with a drive on a wheel, which rubbed against the strings and produced sounds; and the other, in fact, played the melody by raising the necessary keys:

Unlike most instruments, the organistrum originally appeared as an instrument for... worship, and was played in churches and monasteries; this in some way determined his entire future fate.

In the 13th-15th centuries, the instrument was improved, reduced in size, and since then it has been played by one musician, and instead of the complex raising of the keys, a keyboard that is almost familiar to us is used, where the keys are pressed with the fingers and return back under their own weight. The instrument was still used in monasteries, but the organ replaced it from divine services (after all, we are talking about Western Europe); and he went among the people. Even then it ceased to be called “organistrum”, and in each country where it was widespread it has its own name; In world culture, the most widespread English name is hurdy-gurdy.

Features of the instrument - the strings are stretched almost like in an ordinary stringed instrument, but the sound is produced not by an ordinary bow, but by a wooden wheel that plays the role of an endless bow, so the sound is similar to bagpipes, just as tedious and disgusting. Two (or more) strings do not change their pitch and hum constantly - this is called “bourdon”; and one (or more) string, under the influence of the keys, changes its length, and, consequently, the pitch of the sound - this is the voice string. In the most ancient version there were 2 bourdons + 1 voice, but then musicians began to look for ways to increase the volume and striking power of the instrument, and in modern hurdy-gurdys there are more than a dozen strings, as well as all sorts of gadgets such as a “buzzing bridge”, allowing you to beat out the rhythm with by changing the wheel speed.

In the 15th-17th centuries (data vary), the instrument came to Russia, through the territory of Ukraine and Belarus, where it became most widespread. In those years, the instrument had already gone out of fashion in Europe, and it was played mainly by beggars and troubadours, performing spiritual poems to it. So in our country, it was mainly used by passersby, performing spiritual poems and (possibly) reciting epics to it.

In the 18th century, the instrument experienced a new flowering when the European elite suddenly became interested in rural life, and several classical works were composed for the lyre. Perhaps at this time the lyre (more precisely, its European analogue, the hurdi-gerdi) became an exclusively secular instrument, and is still used by European musicians in ethno music - both solo and in ensembles.

According to the author, nothing other than the hurdy-hurdy tools was used

In Ukraine, the lyre (where it is called “snout”) also experienced its heyday in the 18th and 19th centuries, and there was even an opinion that it would take over the bandura, it was so popular. Entire teams of lyre players played at weddings, fairs and other folk festivals - the instrument is loud and allows you to play for a long time without getting tired. The tradition of lyre-playing existed in our country until the 1930s, when, according to some versions, all lyre-players were liquidated, and according to others, poverty as a class was abolished, and therefore all the wandering musicians disappeared.

Although lyres were mainly used in Ukraine and among the Don Cossacks (where they were called “Don snouts”), they also exist in the Russian version. True, they didn’t reach our places - no one had heard of them in the Urals (according to my data), let alone our Siberia. So for our places this is not a very traditional instrument (or not at all).

With the revival of folk culture “from above”, from the cities, the tradition of lyre singing began to revive - many ensembles are introducing lyres into their repertoire throughout the country. This instrument is special, “spiritual”, and it can and should be used when performing spiritual poems - for example, the well-known ensemble “Oktay” in Siberia still uses the lyre. :)

Masters of making lyres also appeared. One of the most famous is from near Myshkin; He has a whole video instruction on working with liras on his website. :) Also makes lyres, Ulyanovsk-Moscow.

One of the most popular videos on YouTube is with a Russian hurdy-gurdy - more than a million views.

And, actually, why am I writing all this:

It turns out that in Nsk we have a master who makes hurdy-gurdy wheels (as well as harps and other medieval instruments) - a 4-string (2 voices and 2 bourdons) chromatic lyre was found and mercilessly acquired from him - not the most ancient version, but also not some kind of hurdy-gurdy about 10 strings with a bunch of whistles. :))) Moreover, I already managed to break one string, now it’s straight ethnography, I still have half the buttons to break off. :)))

Due to the characteristics of the instrument, he cannot play quietly - if you turn the wheel too slowly, the sound simply does not come out, or it wheezes and stutters, so the poor neighbors. :) One good thing is that for studying you can turn off all strings except one voice string, and select and practice at 1/4 volume. :))) For a musician, playing the lyre is probably quite simple; but for me, as someone who does not know musical notation in principle, everything is still difficult for me; It’s only simple in the video, but try to find something worthwhile... The most difficult thing, oddly enough, is setting up the instrument; tuning a lyre is more difficult than a piano, and this is practically no joke - the difficulties here are not in the tension of the notes, but in a bunch of small subtleties, such as rosining the wheel, adjusting the height of the string tension, winding wool, and so on and so forth. It's okay, we'll break through. :) Soon, I hope, I will find something to show.

hurdy-gurdy
(hurdy-gurdy)

The hurdy-gurdy, also known as the wheeled fiddle ( "wheel fiddle") is a stringed musical instrument in which the sound is produced by friction of a rosin wheel driven by a lever against the strings. This wheel essentially acts as a bow, turning the instrument into something like a mechanical violin. The melody is played using keys on which cams are attached - wooden wedges that clamp the strings in the right places. Like most acoustic strings, the hurdy-gurdy has a resonator that amplifies the vibration of the strings.

Most hurdy-gurdies have multiple bourdon strings, which produce a constant tone while played, much like the principle of bagpipes. For this reason, the hurdy-gurdy is often used together with or instead of bagpipes, for example in French and Hungarian folk music.

Many music festivals feature bands featuring hurdy-gurdy performers, the most famous such festival being festival in Saint-Chartiers, in central France in the Indre department, held around 14 July.

Origin and history

It is believed that the Gurdy Gurdy appeared in Western Europe before the 8th century AD. One of the earliest forms of the instrument was the organistrum - a large instrument with a guitar-shaped resonator and a long neck on which keys were fixed (in the range of one diatonic octave). The organistrum had one melodic string and two bourdon strings, which were pulled through a regular bridge and a small wheel. Because of its size, the organistrum was played by two people: one musician rotated the wheel, the other pulled the keys. Pulling (rather than pressing) the keys was a difficult technique, so the instrument was mostly used to play slow melodies. The organistrum was tuned according to Pythagorean temperament, and was used primarily to accompany church and monastery choral singing. Abbot Odo of Cluny (d.942) is considered the author of a short description of the structure of the organistrum called Quomodo organistrum construatur (How the organistrum works), known from later copies, but its reliability is rather doubtful. One of the earliest depictions of the organistrum is a sculpture from the 12th century. at the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, Spain, depicting two players playing an instrument.

Later, the organistrum acquired smaller dimensions, more convenient for use by one musician. The solo organistrum was known in Spain and France, but was soon replaced by the symfonia, a small version of the hurdy-gyurdy with a rectangular resonator, three strings and a diatonic keyboard. Around the same time, push keys were invented. Such keys were much more suitable for playing fast melodies, were much more convenient, and soon completely replaced the pull-out ones. Medieval depictions of the symphony show both types of keyboards.

During the late revival, two characteristic forms of the instrument's resonator became established: a guitar-shaped one and a stave-shaped, rounded lute-shaped one. The latter form is especially characteristic of French instruments.

By the end of the 17th century, changing tastes demanded greater polyphonic capabilities from the hurdy-gurdy and, lacking them, it became an instrument of the lower classes and as a result received names such as the German Bauernleier"peasant lire" or Bettlerleier"poor man's lyre"
During the Rococo period, however, a revival of interest in peasant themes again turned the attention of the upper classes to the instrument, and it gained enormous popularity in high society. Famous composers wrote classical works for the hurdy-gurdy (for example, the famous - Pastor Fido Vivaldi). At this time, the predominant six-string form of the instrument called vielle a roue. Such an instrument had two melody strings and four buron strings, which could be turned off and on if there was a need to play in different keys.

At the same time, the hurdy-gurdy began to penetrate further to the east, where it was developed in different versions in the Slavic countries, eastern German regions and Hungary. Most of the national instruments died out by the beginning of the 20th century, but some have survived to this day, the most famous of which are the French vielle a roue, Venusian tekerőlant and Spanish zanfona. In Ukraine, a variety called lira It was widely used by blind itinerant musicians, most of whom were destroyed by Stalin in the 1930s. In many countries - Sweden, Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, Poland, Russia, Italy and Portugal - there has been a recent revival of the instrument, as a result of which it has penetrated into a variety of musical movements and styles, including modern music, in the context of which no one previously considered the hurdy-gurdy. didn't consider it.

In the 18th century the name hurdy gurdy also applied to a small portable instrument, also called "barrel organ"- a barrel organ, which was often played by wandering musicians.

Hurdy-gurdy in eastern Europe

In Eastern Europe, particularly in Hungary, Poland, Belarus and Ukraine, there is a developed tradition of playing the hurdy-gurdy. In Ukraine the instrument is known as lira or relya, and was used mainly by professional traveling musicians, often blind, who were called lyre players. Their repertoire consisted mainly of religious themes, as well as epic songs called Duma and folk dances. In the 1930s the tradition was practically interrupted because the Soviet government declared lyre players a socially undesirable element and mass destroyed them. Now the instrument is being actively revived and used in various folk projects.

Terminology

Due to the development of the French wheel-lyre tradition, many of the parts of the instrument and playing techniques are called by French terms. For example:

trompette : the highest bourdon string that is pulled across a buzzing bridge
mouche : bourdon string tuned to a fourth or fifth below the string trompette
petit bourdon trompette
gros bourdon : Bourdon string tuned an octave below the string mouche
chanterelle(s) : melodic string(s), also called in English chanter or chanters
chien : (literally "dog") buzzing bridge
tirant : a small peg on the tailpiece designed to adjust the sensitivity of the buzzing bridge

Tool names

According to the Oxford Etymological Dictionary, the word is onomatopoeic in origin, and produces a repetitive creaking sound characteristic of instruments with hard wooden wheels that have warped from moisture; or the sound of a whirring bridge.

Some adhere to a different, folk etymology:

hurdy- back, butt of a person + gurdy- a wheel with a lever for pulling fishing nets into the boat

This etymology is questionable for several reasons: firstly, hurdy- not an English word, secondly - the name of the lever ( hurdy gurdy, but not gurdy) was first recorded in 1883 and transferred to it due to the analogy with a musical instrument, and not vice versa.

Another folk etymology says that the name hurdy gurdy comes from an anglicized form of French harpe de gourde .

Sometimes the instrument is descriptively called a "wheel fiddle", but this term is not used among performers. Hungarian tekerőlant and its variant forgolant– both mean “turning lute.” German Bauernleier means "peasant lyre". (Words Leier, lant– denote instruments of the lute or lyre family, but historically they denoted a wider range of meanings and were applied to many types of stringed instruments).
Another Hungarian word for hurdy-gurdy is nyenyere, which is presumably onomatopoeic and denotes the creaking of an uneven wheel. It is worth noting that the term had a pejorative meaning on the Hungarian plains, but was common on the island of Csepel south of Budapest.

Device

There is no generally accepted standard for the construction of a hurdy-gurdy, although in Europe the most typical is the French one. vielle a roue. Outside France, it has several regional forms, but outside its borders the instrument was considered a folk one, and no single standard was developed.

There are two most common types of resonator in modern hurdy-gurdy resonators: the guitar resonator and the lute resonator. Both versions exist in French-speaking regions, but outside of them the guitar version is generally accepted. The rectangular resonator symphony is also popular among early music performers and historical reenactors.

Strings

Historically, strings were made from gut, which is still preferred by some players, but the most common today are metal strings, which are most convenient especially for low bourdon strings. Nylon ones are also used, but many performers do not prefer them.
Bourdon strings produce a continuous sound of one tone. The melody string(s) are clamped by cams mounted on the keys and shorten or lengthen the sounding part of the string, similar to how a guitarist's fingers work on the fretboard. On the earliest hurdy-gurdy keys the keys were tuned according to the Pythagorean temperament, later instruments were tuned differently, but now equal temperament is the most common for ease of playing with other instruments. But since each cam on any hurdy-gurdy key can be individually tuned, virtually any type of temperament is possible. Most modern hurdy wheels have 24 keys, which give a range of 2 chromatic octaves.

To obtain the desired timbre and sound quality, each string of the hurdy-gurdy is wrapped with a piece of cotton wool or other similar fiber. A small amount of cotton wool is usually wound on the melodic string, and more on the bourdon string. The wrong amount of cotton can result in a sound that is too harsh or too dull, especially at the top of the range. In addition, individual strings (especially melodic strings) require adjustment of the rise above the wheel using small pieces of paper placed under the strings on the bridge. This process is called shimming. Shimming and wool winding are related processes, since both affect the geometry of the instrument's strings.

Buzzing Bridge

In some types of hurdy-gurdies, especially the French vielle a roue(violin with wheel) and in Hungarian tekerőlant (tekerő- short) a device called a “buzzing bridge” is used, chien(French dog) or recsegő(Hungarian buzzer). On modern French instruments there can be up to 4 of them. This mechanism consists of a free bridge on which a bourdon string is stretched. One leg of this bridge is inserted into a groove in the soundboard (or, on Hungarian instruments, held in place by a peg) and holds the bridge in place. The free end, called the “hammer,” is adjacent to the soundboard and can vibrate more or less freely. When the wheel turns slowly, the pressure of the string (called on French instruments) trompette) holds the bridge in place and only the string sounds. As the player accelerates the rotation, the hammer rises and vibrates, hitting the soundboard surface and producing a characteristic rhythmic buzz that is used to create rhythmic percussion accompaniment, especially in dance tunes.

On French type instruments, the sensitivity of the buzzing bridge can be adjusted using a peg called tirant, it is attached to the instrument's tailpiece and connected to the string trompette using wire or thread. Tirant changes the lateral pressure on the string and thus adjusts the sensitivity of the buzzing bridge relative to the speed of rotation of the wheel. There are various techniques for rotating the wheel and accelerating its rotation in different phases. Each “jerk” (sharp acceleration) of the wheel produces a distinct buzzing sound. Such jerks are not performed automatically, but are under the complete control of the performer.

On Hungarian instruments, such adjustment is carried out using a wedge called recsegőék(adjustment wedge (literally "buzzer wedge")) which deflects the bourdon string downwards. When played traditionally, the buzzing bridge is completely controlled by the performer's wrist and has a completely different sound and rhythmic capabilities compared to French instruments.

Regional types

Regional types of hurdy-gurdies since the Renaissance can be classified according to
a) wheel size And
b) presence or absence of a buzzing bridge.

1.Small wheel

Tools with a small wheel (less than 14 cm in diameter) are characteristic of Central and Eastern Europe. They are distinguished by a wide string box (keybox) and bourdon strings that pass inside her. Due to the small diameter of the wheel, these instruments usually have three strings - one melody, one tenor and one bass string. Sometimes there can be more strings - up to five.

German instrument with pear-shaped resonator Drehleier . Two or three bourdon strings and one or two chromatic melodic strings. The characteristic wedge-shaped “headstock” on which the pegs are attached. Often richly decorated. Instruments of this type use a buzz bridge with an adjusting peg, which is mounted next to the string, rather than on the tailpiece as on French instruments.

V). Whirring bridge with wedge adjustment

Hungarian tekerőlant : Usually has 2 bourdons (sometimes 3) and one or two melodic chromatic strings. The wide string box is often carved or heavily decorated.

Tyrolean Drehleier (Austria): Very similar to tekerőlant, but usually has a diatonic tuning. It is very likely that this instrument was a prototype of the Hungarian one.

With). Without a buzzing bridge

lira korbowa (Poland). Guitar shaped resonator. Two bourdons and one melodic diatonic string.

hurdy-gurdy /rylya/rylya (Russia). Guitar shaped resonator. Two bourdons and one melodic diatonic string. Flat keyboard.

lira (Ukraine). Two bourdons and one melodic diatonic string.
Three types of resonator: hollowed out from one piece of wood, guitar with side pegs and stacked with vertical pegs. Flat keyboard.

ninera/kolovratec (Slovakia). Guitar shaped resonator. Two bourdons and one melodic diatonic string. Wide string box. Externally similar to the Hungarian tekerő, but does not have a buzzing bridge.

grodalira/vevlira (Sweden). Revived in the 20th century according to historical models. Two resonator shapes: oblong box-shaped and elongated pear-shaped. Usually has a diatonic tuning, but it can be extended to chromatic by adding additional keys that are located below the regular diatonic row (rather than above, as on most hurdy gurdies).

German tulip-shaped Drehleier . Three bourdons and one melodic diatonic string.

2.Big wheel

Tools with a large wheel (diameter from 14 to 17 cm) are characteristic of Western Europe. Such instruments usually have a narrow string box, inside which only the melody strings are stretched. They usually have more strings, and duplication or tripling of strings is common. Some modern instruments have up to 15 strings, although the usual number is 6.

a).Buzzing bridge with string adjustment

Externally similar to a violin case. This instrument is also known as an organistrum or hardy-hardy. When playing, the lyre must be held on the lap, and most of the strings are played simultaneously while playing. Popular since the 10th century, the musical instrument is not used so often today. But thanks to its amazing sound and original design, the lyre is still remembered today.

Sound features

The sound of the hurdy-gurdy is ensured by the work of most of the strings, when vibration occurs as a result of their friction against the wheel. It is noteworthy that most strings are responsible only for a monotonous hum, and the reproduction of the melody is ensured by the playing of one or two. The hurdy-gurdy sounds powerful, sad, monotonous, somewhat nasal. And to soften the sound, strings have long been wrapped with flax or wool fibers. Accurate alignment of the wheel also plays an important role - it must be smooth and rosin-coated.

Device

The three-string lyre has a deep wooden body in the shape of a figure eight, two flat soundboards that have bent sides. The upper part of the instrument is equipped with a head with wooden pegs, which allows you to tune the strings. The hurdy-gurdy has a short peg box that often ends in a scroll. Since the wheel rim protrudes somewhat outward, it is hidden under a special bast fuse in the shape of an arc.

The top deck has holes, and there is a key-saddle mechanism with keys on it. They, in turn, are simple wooden planks with protrusions. When a musician presses the keys, the protrusions come into contact with the strings, producing sounds. The protrusions are attached in such a way that they can be shifted in different directions, thereby leveling the sound range. The body of the instrument is designed in such a way as to enhance the string sound. The sound is enhanced by vibrations of the strings, which are caused by the movement of the wheel.

String Features

A hurdy-gurdy is an instrument with three gut strings:

• melodic, which is called spivanitsa, or melody;
• two bourdons, which are called bass and pidbasok.

If the melodic string, by design, passes through the inside of the box, then the bourdon strings pass on top of it. All strings are positioned so that they are in contact with the wheel rim. Before work, it is rubbed with resin, which makes the strings sound smooth and audible. The smoothness of the sound is ensured by the smooth surface of the wheel and its precise alignment. A melody is created or performed by pressing keys located in the side cutouts of the box.

Historically, strings were made from guts, although metal or nylon strings are increasingly popular today. To obtain the desired timbre and sound quality, musicians wrapped the strings with cotton wool or other fiber, and there should have been more coating on the bourdon strings. And if there is not enough cotton wool, the sound will be either too dull or too harsh, especially in the upper range.

How to play?

The hurdy-gurdy is a tool that is not particularly easy to use. Lyra is placed on her knees, and a belt is thrown over her shoulders. The tuning box should be located on the left side and slightly tilted, while the free keys should fall away from the string. With his right hand, the musician evenly and slowly rotates the wheel by the handle, pressing the keys with his left hand. In its sound, the lyre resembles a bagpipe or a whistle, since all three instruments sound bourdons. As for the sound quality, it depends primarily on the friction wheel, which is accurately centered and well lubricated. If the musician plays standing, the lyre is suspended from a strap on the shoulder with a slight tilt to distribute the weight of the instrument.

How did the lyre appear?

The wheeled lyre is a musical instrument that has been known since the 10th century. Most often it was used in monasteries to perform church music. By the 15th century, the instrument became less popular, but continued to be used by vagabonds, the blind, the crippled, who walked the streets and sang songs and fairy tales to the simple sound of the lyre.

In Rus', this musical instrument was known around the 17th century, and experts answer that it appeared in our country from Ukraine. It was here that there were even entire schools of lyre players who wandered from village to village, performed music and earned money. The lyre was also used at weddings, as it sounded loud, and the most cheerful repertoire could be chosen for it. The peculiarity of the hurdy-gurdy is that it was produced in different lengths. In some variations, even two people had to play music on it, since the instrument was up to one and a half meters long.

Brotherhood of Lyre Players

In Ukraine, entire classes of 30 people were taught to play the hurdy-gurdy. The elders got into practice, which involved visiting neighboring villages during bazaars and weddings, when the money they earned was given to the mentor as tuition fees. After graduation, the musicians took exams.

During the Soviet years, the hurdy-gurdy underwent several changes. The photo shows that even in appearance the instrument changed somewhat. Thanks to the improvement of the design, it became more original; there were 9 strings, and they were tuned by minor thirds. Instead of a wooden wheel, a plastic transmission belt was used, which made the sound more even. A special device was used to change the degree of pressure on the string, therefore the sound strength of the instrument was different. Note that improved samples of the lyre are still used in folk orchestras.

What today?

In Russia today the hurdy-gurdy is rarely used. The musical instrument (the photo shows all its colorfulness) remained part of the State Orchestra and the People's Choir of Belarus. It is noteworthy that hardy-hardy was also used among rockers: the groups Led Zeppelin and In Extremo chose the instrument due to its unusual sound. Today the instrument has been practically forgotten, but some orchestras, due to the unusual sound, retain the hardy-hardy as a highlight of their work.