Uh... we have actually lost gigs because the organizer found out I
play the gurdy. Their prior experience with gurdies was so bad they
wanted nothing to do with them, even when presented with evidence that
gurdies can sound good. We've also had people nearly leave concerts
for the same reason. I have had more people than I can remember come
up to me and say, Wow, that's a hurdy gurdy? Yours sounds like a
musical instrument! And then comes the story about the person with the
gurdy shaped object made from green wood in a shop class or some such
variation. It's not snobbery, it's just a fact that there are some
dreadful HSOs out there and they do cause problems for the rest of
us. But having said that, I've heard some lovely instruments sound
like garbage because of indifferent set up or inattention to tuning or
lack of skill/talent/sensitivity on the part of the player. It's not
always the instrument that is the problem as witnessed by the several
kits and "home made" gurdies which have sounded quite lovely and have
been played with quite a high level of skill.
For the record, I would generally not discourage a person from making
a gurdy from scratch or from a kit but only encourage them to come to
this list for the best advice on choosing how to progress. Just
because someone makes a home made instrument (even a gurdy) is not
instantly a guarantee of a bad result- but guidance is key in all the
phases of gurdy building and playing. I usually encourage folks to
just buy a decent one, though, as most people don't have the time,
energy or space to build instruments of any kind let alone something
as complex and demanding as a gurdy.
Felicia.
On Nov 3, 2011, at 2:52 AM, Tony Vincent wrote:
On 3/11/2011 7:42 p.m., Ulrich Joosten wrote:
Dear list,
didn't someone propose tho discuss this topic on a special luthier
list ?
I do not want to offend anybody. In the past 35 years a lot of
qualified instrument makers worked hard to develop modern
instruments that really SOUND like a "real instrument" I hate the
idea of some enthusiastic amateurs proudly presenting their newly
tinkered gurdy with a horrible sound…
Well said! No offence taken. The idea of all those amateur players
banging out screechy old tunes and annoying everyone is anathema to
real musicians with real instruments even if they are just carrying
on a thousand year old folk tradition and enjoying themselves to
boot. What right do they think they have spoiling it for real
musicians? I think I must go and destroy my home made gurdy and
perhaps even enter a monastry and do penance. What on earth was I
thinking?
Well done! You have have redefined snobbery for me. This is exactly
the attitude that has raised such ire in many beginners.
Regards, TonyNZ
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