# What was that instrument Sting played at the Oscars?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-instrument-sting-played-at-the-oscars/231858>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 1, 2004, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-instrument-sting-played-at-the-oscars/231858 "2004-03-01T04:23:49Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Saranga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Saranga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saranga)\
**Post date:** [March 1, 2004, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-instrument-sting-played-at-the-oscars/231858/1 "2004-03-01T04:23:49Z")

</div>

It was like a large mandolin, with a crank?

Thanks in advance

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\
**Post date:** [March 1, 2004, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-instrument-sting-played-at-the-oscars/231858/2 "2004-03-01T04:50:51Z")

</div>

That was a Hurdy Gurdy. If you google Hurdy Gurdy you’ll get a much better answer then what I had started to type.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![hammerbach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/73ab20/32.png) [@hammerbach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hammerbach)\
**Post date:** [March 1, 2004, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-instrument-sting-played-at-the-oscars/231858/3 "2004-03-01T05:29:50Z")

</div>

I had no idea he had one of those. I’ve only seen a few up close and personal. I’m sorry I missed it. Very cool instrument, sounds like a cross between violin and bagpipe.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\
**Post date:** [March 1, 2004, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-instrument-sting-played-at-the-oscars/231858/4 "2004-03-01T14:08:17Z")

</div>

I’m not sure you missed much, **hammerbach**. I couldn’t detect its sound above the band in the background.