So those of us who play the Hurdy-Gurdy are few and far between. Probably the farther you get from France, the harder it is to find another HG player. From what I gather, the HG in France is often in ensembles with the Cornemuse, accordion, perhaps the fiddle. With the exception of the fiddle, these instruments can also be quite rare, or if the instrument isn't rare, then knowledge of the tunes and playing style is.
How have those of you other lone HG players built ensembles given this problem? What I'm particularly interested in is what specific instruments and in what keys you found to be well suited to playing with the HG? I was thinking the B-flat penny whistle would be good for accompanying the HG on C-minor tunes (That way, you could find an Irish whistle player, give them a B flat whistle and away you go). What key of diatonic accordion would work best? Where would you suggest your guitar player capo to best work with the HG? Thanks in advance for your thoughts! -Ian Clemons Portland, Oregon
