A wheel instead of a bowSourced
A hand-cranked wheel rubs the strings
A hurdy-gurdy uses a hand-cranked, rosined wheel to rub strings and produce sound. A keyboard changes the pitch for the melody, while many examples have drone strings giving a constant accompaniment. The wheel performs a role similar to a violin bow.
One hand turns while the other shapes the tune.
Summary / translation: Unbubly · CC BY-SA 4.0
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Hurdy-gurdy · Wikimedia contributors
Adapted, summarized and translated from the source. Adapted text is also available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Reviewed: 2026-10-05