How To Play The Three-Stringed Diatonic (Page 2 of 3) in pdf

For playing in the keys of -A- or -G-

Key of -A-

Tune the low drone to -a-,

high drone to -a’- ,

melody string to -e-,

Key of -G-

Tune the low drone to -g-,

high drone to -g’-

melody string to -d-,

Type of String:

Melody string

Gut (always)

0.036” to 0.037” diameter

High drone string

Monofilament nylon or gut

0.023” to 0.024” diameter

Low drone string

Nylon, wound with silver plated copper,

0.039” to 0.041” diameter

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Low drone strings made of gut with silver or copper winding will sound excellently also if the

proper gauge is chosen, but will cost several times as much as wound nylon strings. String gauges needed

vary according to the sounding string-length and tuning of the particular hurdy-gurdy model. The stated

dimensions and materials will give good results. Increases or decreases in increments of 0.001” to 0.002”

in diameter will make a noticable difference!

Since the hurdy-gurdy can be tuned in many ways, the novice hurdy-gurdy player should get ac-

quainted with a simple system of expressing interval relations by the use of numbers and / or syllables

(-do-re-me-). The tuning of the hurdy-gurdy for a particular piece of music can then be quickly identified

regardless of the actual pitch level.

Success or failure to create a good sound on any hurdy-gurdy depends mostly on the amount of

contact the strings have with the wheel. The first step should be the tuning of all strings to their proper

pitch. This is very important as the success of all further adjustments depends on the strings being on their

maximum tension for a given pitch level. The wheel must be well rosined and free of any grease or fat on

its surface. Use a good quality violin bow rosin. Grind the rosin into a very fine powder and apply some

of this powder to the wheel with your left-hand forefinger while turning the crank with your right hand.

Our hurdy-gurdies have special containers built into the keyboard box. One container for powdered

rosin, the other for cotton. The strings, without any cotton on them, should be so close to the wheel that

only a faint sound is heard when turning the wheel. If the strings are touching the wheel firmly, the notches

in the bridge are already to deep. This can be corrected by laying a small amount of cotton under the string

at the notch in the bridge. Should the string be to high over the wheel, reverse the procedure: Use a fine

needle file and deepen the notches in the bridge until the strings barely touch the wheel when it is turned.

This procedure will have to be repeated from time to time because climatic changes cause wood to shrink

or expand, resulting in an unbalanced string to wheel contact and faint, or harsh sound.

When the bridge is properly adjusted, the wheel rosined, and the strings tuned, you are ready to

apply cotton to the strings. Cotton for a hurdy-gurdy is like horse hair to the violin bow. The cotton acts as

a buffer between the string and the wheel, avoiding scratchy noises. The “trick” lies in the right amount!

Take a small flake of cotton (small snowflake size) and, while turning the wheel, bring it in touch with the

string and the wheel, allowing the wheel to “grab” the cotton and wind it around the string. Do this to all

three strings until the quality and volume of sound are well balanced. Using too much cotton is a common

problem!

Keep tuning the instrument to precise pitch and apply powdered rosin freely, particularly when

the instrument is new. The speed of turning the wheel varies according to the diameter of the wheel, but a

speed of approximately one turn per second is close enough until you find your own speed. Turn the crank

clockwise only, NEVER BACKWARDS, as the cotton on the strings will come unraveled, causing you

much more work. As you will notice after playing a while, the intensity of the sound increases with wheel

velocity, allowing a modest dynamic differenciation. In general, as one plays towards and in the highest

pitch-range, a gradual increase in wheel velocity will make the highest notes sound cleaner and with more

of a singing quality. Practicing will be necessary to produce a satisfying and pleasing sound.

How To Play The Three-Stringed Diatonic Page 2

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