Hurdy-gurdy strings are purely generated electronically by the keys and also in combination with the rotation of the wheel. The signals for drone strings and the snares are generated by the crank movements of the wheel. The data exchange of the musical information between the hurdy-gurdy and connected computers, samplers or synthesizers are managed via MIDI interface. Hurdy-gurdy The hurdy-gurdy is a stringed instrument that produces sound by a hand crank-turned, rosined wheel rubbing against the strings. The wheel functions much like a violin bow, and single notes played on the instrument sound similar to those of a violin. Melodies are
Hurdy-gurdy century, but a few have survived. The best-known are the French "vielle à roue", the Hungarian "tekerőlant", and the Spanish "zanfoña". In Ukraine, a variety called the "lira" was widely used by blind street musicians, most of whom were purged by Stalin in the 1930s (See "Persecuted bandurists"). The hurdy-gurdy tradition is well developed particularly in Hungary, Poland, Belarus 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. Their repertoire has mostly para-religious themes. Most of it originated in the Baroque period.