Hurdy-gurdy 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 played on a keyboard that presses "tangents"—small wedges, typically made of wood—against one or more of the strings to change their pitch. Like most other acoustic stringed instruments, it has a sound board and hollow cavity to make the vibration of the strings audible. Most hurdy-gurdies have multiple drone strings, which give a constant pitch accompaniment
Nigel Eaton Nigel's tune "The Halsway Carol" (lyrics by Iain Frisk) and "Halsway Schottische" have attracted many cover versions on YouTube. Nigel Eaton Nigel Eaton is an English hurdy-gurdy player. He originally played the piano and cello but switched to the hurdy-gurdy in 1981 when his father, Christopher Eaton, began making them. He was a member of Whirling Pope Joan with Julie Murphy, Blowzabella, The Duellists and Firestarters of Leiden. He has released two solo albums, "The Music of the Hurdy-Gurdy" (1987) and "Pandemonium" (2002), and has been featured on recordings by other artists including Jimmy Page and Robert Plant (with whom