Gurdypedia

Hurdy-gurdy strings

Northern Renaissance Instruments, UK suppliers of strings for period instruments, has an article on hurdy-gurdy strings on its website - as well as a wide variety of string sets for sale.  

“Since the melody doesn’t cross strings In hurdy gurdies, choosing strings is a matter of finding the desired blend of sound, rather than balancing strings for equal output. Blend involves comparative loudness. The loudness of bowed strings is largely dependent on string tension. Different string tensions at the same pitch are achieved by different weights of the vibrating lengths of the strings.”

Worth a read here.

Online equal-temperament fret calculator

Need to calculate the correct positions for the tangents from the nut?  Try the free online fret calculator here!  This uses the equal temperament tuning - but you may prefer to use the just temperament described in a previous blog entry here.

Wheel, strings, dog

Useful website from Xavier Aime here in which he provides details of the functioning and adjustment of the wheel, strings and dog on the hurdy-gurdy.  Includes useful information on the Auvergnat and Bourbonnais tunings and the choice of strings.

Tuning and temperament

Although we’re all familiar with the idea that an A is defined (since 1939) as 440Hz, many people are less familiar with how the frequencies of all the other notes are defined.  Notes an octave higher are, by definition, twice the frequency.  However, this is where the simple definitions end.  To hear sweet sounding chords, the frequencies of the notes should be such that that their component harmonics coincide frequently.  However, it turns out that by simply choosing equally spaced frequency differences between every note in the scale, we end up with out of tune intervals (such as major thirds, minor thirds, perfect fifths, etc).  This is the best overall compromise that can be done on an instrument such as the piano, which must play in any key.  However, this paper by Graham Whyte (presented at the Over the Water festival in 2002) and hosted by luthier Chris Allen argues that the fact the gurdy generally only plays in a few keys allows it to be tuned in the just temperament, giving much sweeter sounding intervals.  An interesting read and useful advice for someone adjusting their tangents.  

Download the paper here.

Gotschy’s cottoning assistant

Yet another guide to applying cotton on the strings of the gurdy.  This time a step-by-step photographic guide by German luthier Helmut Gotschy.  Read more here.

The hurdy-gurdy keyboard

Jon Steel has published a handy overview of the correct tunings of the G/C and D/G hurdy-gurdies and the corresponding notes on the keyboard.  See here.