Dear Ernich, I'm not sure if anyone has replied to your introduction from several days ago, so let me say welcome to the group. It's always good to meet another medieval/folk hurdy-gurdy player on this list.
Anna Clemenger Peekstok Seattle, WA
--- Begin Message ---Hello friends of the hurdy gurdy,
For some time I have been reading discussions on hg and already posted once (on tuning the tangents) some days ago, but up till now I did not find time to introduce myself. Meanwhile, I got useful and interesting information and enjoyed the discussions on hg. Thank you!
I live in the Netherlands, Nijmegen.I have always been fascinated by drone music and at some time I bought a diatonic hurdy gurdy in a not so good condition. I have played it occasionally with my group for renaissance and medieval music, de Speellieden van Gelre, mostly for the effect, generally in combination with wind instruments and tabor. When I decided to make more of it and tried to improve the instrument, I met Ren� Meeuws, a professional hurdy gurdy player and enthusiastic teacher, where I started to study playing seriously and soon got addicted to the hurdy. I needed a better instrument and last summer I bought two at once, a wonderful Symfonie made by Chris Allen and Sabina Kormylo, that proves to be a perfect match to the singers and instruments (renaissance and medieval) in my early music group, and a fine fascinating modern instrument, an Allegro made by Wolfgang Weichselbaumer, for general use. It is a joy to play these instruments, although good playing the hurdy gurdy, even with simple tunes, is much more difficult than I thought, the more because it is so different from the (wind) instruments that I play already. Well, it's a challenge!
On the hurdy gurdy I want to play medieval tunes (for instance monophonic Machaut, Libre Vermell, etc.) and folk music that has its roots in early music. I like to listen to hurdy gurdy from medieval to jazz and I am fond of trance inducing endless go-ons. As for me, the drone is an essential feature for the hurdy gurdy; it may be possible to play even Haydn string quartets with 4 hurdies (although it would ask for a bass hurdy), but, in fact, music without an effective drone is no real hurdy gurdy music for me.
A special interest of mine has always been tuning and temperament (I play clavichord -the sister of the symfonie!- and harpsichord as well and I am a mathematician). I have been thinking on and experimenting with possible tuning systems for the hurdy gurdy, questioning what is really important for the experience of pureness especially on a hurdy gurdy and what are the choices. I found that -with my claims on pureness and my wishes on flexibility- essentially, there is only one system possible. I have seen that, in fact, Graham Whyte makes the same choice in his article "Tuning and Temperament". However, some modifications are possible that may comfort playing with other instruments. I have made my arguments, ideas on modifications and conclusions available to others in an article "Tuning a hurdy gurdy's tangents" ; it contains all necessary theoretical information (so I hope - if not, please, let me know!). The article will be accompanied by a spreadsheet that allows for easy theoretical experimenting with any tuning system on the hurdy gurdy together with reading frequencies and positions of the tangents, in order to make one's own choices. As soon as I can find enough time, I will finish it and announce on hg that it can be downloaded.
With kind regards
Ernic
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