Photo by myself in Union Square.A fellow named Davin sang along to an instrument called a hurdy gurdy in Union Square, Thursday evening. I'd never seen one of these before, though wikipedia says they are common in European folk music.
A crank on the bottom of the instrument turns a wooden wheel, which rubs against six strings. The result sounds like a nasally, stringed version of the bagpipes. Meanwhile, the player presses keys with the other hand to change the pitch.
At one point, Davin rubbed the wheel with a square of rosin, the same stuff that violinists use on their bows. The rosin maintains the friction between the wheel and the strings, which creates the nasally sound.
I managed to speak with Davin for just a minute, between songs. He said he fell in love with the instrument after hearing it by sheer accident. When I got home, a quick search on youtube shows Davin playing in the same area just last night (!).
Related posts: The Morning Serenade, Young Man, on the Subway Platform, and The King of Song, Below Ground.
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