# What is this instrument? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 25, 2007, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-instrument/393590 "2007-02-25T06:32:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![saoirse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@saoirse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saoirse)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2007, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-instrument/393590/1 "2007-02-25T06:32:29Z")
There was a girl in the band Arcade Fire playing this wooden instrument with a crank at one end. She was also fingering it with her left hand, but it must have been with buttons, becasue no keys were visible. . From the way the crank moved, it seemed to be attached to a gear. ---
**Author:** ![WolfpackJeep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpackjeep/32/2921_2.png) [@WolfpackJeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WolfpackJeep)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2007, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-instrument/393590/2 "2007-02-25T06:47:45Z")
Is it a [hurdy gurdy](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurdy_gurdy)? ---
**Author:** ![MikeS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MikeS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeS)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2007, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-instrument/393590/3 "2007-02-25T06:48:25Z")
Your description doesn’t make it entirely clear, but was it a [hurdy-gurdy](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurdy_gurdy)? On preview: I guess I’m not too quick on the draw tonight. ---
**Author:** ![saoirse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@saoirse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saoirse)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2007, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-instrument/393590/4 "2007-02-25T07:06:59Z")
A hurdy-gurdy is what it was, although it didn’t look like the one in that picture. It looked more like [this one.](http://secamlocal.ex.ac.uk/people/staff/mrwatkin/imagery/joelgurdy.jpg) Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![Kevbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e47774/32.png) [@Kevbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kevbo)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2007, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-instrument/393590/5 "2007-02-25T22:58:10Z")
About half way down [This page](http://www.ehhs.cmich.edu/~dhavlena/) There is a hurdy gurdy section. It has articles on how to make one, sound samples, etc. Glad to know one is being played by a working musician. The instrument got a [bad rap](http://www.hotpipes.com/hggirls2.html) at one point, and has never recovered. ---
**Author:** ![Rayne\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2007, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-instrument/393590/6 "2007-02-25T23:17:57Z")
Franz Schubert’s _Die Winterreise_ song cycle mentions a Hurdy Gurdy player. This is a very strange, evocative and haunting song. There are more details [Here](http://everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=1208612&lastnode_id=0) ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2007, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-instrument/393590/7 "2007-02-26T12:10:27Z")
[QUOTE=Kevbo] …The instrument got a [bad rap](http://www.hotpipes.com/hggirls2.html) at one point, and has never recovered. [/QUOTE] [This](http://www.amazon.com/Hurdy-Gurdy-Man-Donovan/dp/B00081MUYK?tag2=gp04-20), being the final nail in the coffin. 😃 CMC fnord!