Hurdy gurdy
A
hurdy gurdy is a stringed
musical instrument. It consists of several strings arranged such that they can all be vibrated by a rotating wheel covered with
rosin. This method of producing sound is similar to
string instruments such as the
violin; but because the hurdy gurdy produces several notes, a melody accompanied by chords made by "drone strings", its sound is perhaps more comparable to that of
bagpipes.
The drone strings just produce sounds at fixed pitches, while the other strings are played by a key mechanism which stops each string, adjusting its length, and hence the pitch.