The Hurdy Gurdy | Down the Rabbit Hole

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  • čas přidán 28. 04. 2019
  • In various places of modern culture, the enigmatic, crank-powered hurdy gurdy can be found, creating strange, droning music. But where did it come from?
    Twitter: / fredintheknud
    Patreon: / fredrikknudsen
    Music: / @probecomposer

Komentáře • 5K

  • @An7ithe0s
    @An7ithe0s Před 5 lety +4659

    "...because I play the hurdy gurdy."
    why am I not suprised?

    • @accelerator1666
      @accelerator1666 Před 5 lety +101

      Unique knudsen back at it again.

    • @skeetersfunhouse4002
      @skeetersfunhouse4002 Před 5 lety +41

      Because he’s played it on stream before, and has talked about it a few times.

    • @123yodood
      @123yodood Před 5 lety +53

      was LITERALLY about to comment this, Fredrik is a complete enigma

    • @olivius8891
      @olivius8891 Před 5 lety +8

      JC, a bomb!

    • @georgiamayfield5922
      @georgiamayfield5922 Před 5 lety +41

      Simple, Mystery man plays mystery instrument

  • @Loe7
    @Loe7 Před 5 lety +3639

    Oh all things he covers, why the Hurd-
    “Because I play the Hurdy Gurdy.”
    Oh.

  • @RamieTV
    @RamieTV Před 4 lety +734

    I like how Fredrik talks about his favorite instrument the same way he talks about horrifying incidents and delusional people.

    • @ronm3245
      @ronm3245 Před 6 měsíci +5

      It's amazing how much this computerized voice sounds nearly human.

    • @rigormortiz5357
      @rigormortiz5357 Před 3 měsíci +3

      ​@@ronm3245you clearly didn't watch his other channel lol

  • @b.c4440
    @b.c4440 Před 4 lety +1849

    French noblewomen: “so anyway here’s Wonderwall...”

  • @salt_liqueur
    @salt_liqueur Před 5 lety +4310

    "Where did it come from?"
    *Picture of Jesus fades in*
    oh shit okay

    • @wadespencer3623
      @wadespencer3623 Před 5 lety +429

      Jesus laying down those sick Hurdy Gurdy beats.

    • @handonthegat2989
      @handonthegat2989 Před 5 lety +70

      Adam, Eve, The hurdy Gurdy LMAO

    • @PongoXBongo
      @PongoXBongo Před 5 lety +130

      @@wadespencer3623 And now, ladies and gentlemen, Jeezy Chreezy on the Hurdy Gurdy!

    • @sarahgray430
      @sarahgray430 Před 5 lety +6

      All music (except for Black Metal) is Divine in nature.

    • @jaqssmith1666
      @jaqssmith1666 Před 5 lety +36

      @@sarahgray430 even Harsh Noise?
      Why single out Black Metal?
      Are you so well schooled in Black Metal that you can make that statement? that Black Metal is so fundamentally different from, lets say, Death Metal, that it alone is not divine?

  • @alexad7570
    @alexad7570 Před 4 lety +5413

    when i asked my wife what she wanted for her Birthday, she said "surprise me". Surprised she will be.

  • @cerilex6786
    @cerilex6786 Před 2 lety +590

    It's scary how such a wonderful instrument was almost lost to time, makes you wonder about those that may have actually been lost.

    • @spencerleava2502
      @spencerleava2502 Před 2 lety +23

      Some instruments have pretty much been lost, but are now being rediscovered. The tibia is an example that comes to mind.

    • @amberfun9148
      @amberfun9148 Před rokem +19

      Exactly there used to be a whole family of double reed instruments, there are only two surviving members the oboe and the bassoon. We don’t even have the originals only drawings 😢

    • @illusion466
      @illusion466 Před rokem +5

      Some deserve to be lost (glass harmonica) 😂

    • @juliusnepos6013
      @juliusnepos6013 Před rokem +1

      I have first known about this instrument from an encarta feature. The hurdy gurdu snippet is so catchy and breezy to listen

    • @jacksonguillory8114
      @jacksonguillory8114 Před 10 měsíci +1

      ​@amberfun9148 at least someone bothered to save the Rauschpfeife(I think that's how it's spelled)

  • @mchagnon7
    @mchagnon7 Před 4 lety +242

    22:49 that was such an epic rant! I can't believe it didn't end with "eat hot chip and lie..."

    • @kittykat490
      @kittykat490 Před 3 lety +23

      Omg... you're so right that rant was the "eat hot chip and lie" of it's time lmfao

  • @Milkra
    @Milkra Před 5 lety +7869

    “I play the hurdy gurdy”
    What an absolute power move

    • @TonyStrayVideo
      @TonyStrayVideo Před 5 lety +119

      Before he posted this video he tweeted a pic of an owl mask he'd commissioned.
      I for one was hoping he'd be wearing it during the demonstration.

    • @KrazyKelor
      @KrazyKelor Před 5 lety +37

      Nerdy Gurdy Flex

    • @awanshura
      @awanshura Před 5 lety +66

      I had a similar reaction
      "Because I play the hurdy gurdy"
      "Of COURSE you do..." lol

    • @necksugar
      @necksugar Před 4 lety +11

      Just cause a lady is playing a hurdy-gurdy does not mean she's minstrel

    • @drandy580
      @drandy580 Před 4 lety +27

      Hurdy gurdist

  • @tiggytheimpaler5483
    @tiggytheimpaler5483 Před 5 lety +8667

    "I play the hurdey gurdey"
    Somehow this is both the most and least shocking thing I have heard you say on this channel

  • @kittkattthecat
    @kittkattthecat Před 4 lety +197

    "Hurdy gurdy" is literally one of the best names for anything I have ever heard

    • @_yellow
      @_yellow Před 2 lety +10

      Kind of the same vibe as "walkie talkie"

  • @theylivewesleep.5139
    @theylivewesleep.5139 Před 4 lety +1443

    The Hurdy Gurdy is just the gaming pc of musical instruments.

    • @genericlegionaryrecruit7235
      @genericlegionaryrecruit7235 Před 3 lety +37

      Idk bro the accordion kinda made with beeswax doe 😳

    • @austinm.9832
      @austinm.9832 Před 3 lety +14

      @@genericlegionaryrecruit7235 but bagpipes have standards, hurdy gurdies are more custom.

    • @Jozenchill
      @Jozenchill Před 3 lety +33

      Why would you say something so controversial, yet so brave?

    • @OtakuUnitedStudio
      @OtakuUnitedStudio Před 3 lety +51

      Costs thousands of dollars, requires near constant maintenance, and the people who own one never waste an opportunity to say so? Yeah, that checks out. XD

    • @piranhaplantX
      @piranhaplantX Před 3 lety +3

      @@OtakuUnitedStudio Bruh, only people who want to wave their financial dicks around spend thousands. That, or they have a job like 3D rendering that actually requires it. But you can get a solid one, that beats current gen consoles while being more flexible, for not much more than a new console. All while being able to do more stuff with it.
      As for maintenance, not really. Aside from cleaning out dust occasionally, which you need to do with virtually any computer (including gaming consoles) you've just got to replace the thermal past every 2-4 years. Which is also something that should be done on modern consoles or pre-built PC's as well. If you've ever wondered why your console started sounded like a jet plan during play after a year or two, it probably needs a good dust cleaning and fresh thermal paste. Especially since console manufacturers tend to use the cheap shit, and have poor airflow for cooling.

  • @FredrikKnudsen
    @FredrikKnudsen  Před 5 lety +3152

    I apologize for how long this video took to produce; my life was undergoing significant changes. Things have resolved and I'm able to return fully to video production.

    • @chonchjohnch
      @chonchjohnch Před 5 lety +97

      Fredrik Knudsen best of luck with whatever’s going on!

    • @ladyarmourlapras
      @ladyarmourlapras Před 5 lety +51

      Hope all is well!

    • @Cosmic_Fyre
      @Cosmic_Fyre Před 5 lety +14

      Glad to have you back :D

    • @ninjanippledog725
      @ninjanippledog725 Před 5 lety +14

      No worries! Im just happy to see a video, no anger over a wait!

    • @bulkypigeon
      @bulkypigeon Před 5 lety +9

      Glad to hear it! I began watching the old ones for a fix.

  • @JustLookinkAround
    @JustLookinkAround Před 5 lety +2644

    Huh. So what you're saying is, I can watch a "Down the Rabbit Hole" video without feeling a sense of dread and despair?

    • @ZergrushEddie
      @ZergrushEddie Před 4 lety +93

      And yet it is an instrument that can be associated with dread and despair, so it is in line with every other “Down the Rabbit Hole.” ;)

    • @cjhebert94
      @cjhebert94 Před 4 lety +32

      His video on Temple iOS put me in a mood the rest of the day. I watched Metokurs video. Then forgot about it. Shame he died.

    • @burgershrimp8857
      @burgershrimp8857 Před 4 lety +30

      i was saddened when Hurdy Gurdy sank in its status. so no.

    • @arootube
      @arootube Před 4 lety +23

      I don't know man, barefoot beggar on the ice playing a hurdy gurdy for growling strays sounds desperately dreadful.

    • @fcsmusic3936
      @fcsmusic3936 Před 4 lety

      Aaah I get it so that's why so weird

  • @gaymansupreme
    @gaymansupreme Před rokem +74

    The Hurdy Gurdy is such an underrated instrument, a lot of metal has been using it to make extremely haunting tones in conjunction with riffs.

  • @thatoneperson3762
    @thatoneperson3762 Před 4 lety +162

    i'm 14 minutes into the video and can't help but infodump: "leier" is still sometimes used in german vocabulary as a verb, when someone says something unimportant in a droning and never ending tone, they are "leiern" (example: "er leiert schon wieder rum" ~ "he's going on again about nothing") it's not used as often anymore and i hear/read it less and less, but i do remember it from the early 2000's and not from any older books, but that may be, because it's kind of a rude thing to say and the older books i read didn't really have content rude enough to justify a "leiern"

    • @thats_so_laven
      @thats_so_laven Před 4 lety +12

      "Herunterleiern" is still fairly commonly used, though!

    • @amberhernandez
      @amberhernandez Před 3 lety +13

      You leiren something new every day!

    • @VolkColopatrion
      @VolkColopatrion Před 3 lety +3

      @@amberhernandez HA

    • @mekabare
      @mekabare Před 3 lety +4

      Or "Immer dieselbe Leier" (akin to "always the same old story")

  • @Kaleo64
    @Kaleo64 Před 5 lety +2768

    I was kinda hoping, after Fred announced he played, that this video would just be 30 minutes of him playing the hurdy gurdy.

    • @mileidyclass
      @mileidyclass Před 5 lety +27

      @Shaman Xeed Funnily enough, Fredrik did make a two part Down the Rabbit Hole on anime.

    • @Dragonrealms245
      @Dragonrealms245 Před 5 lety +24

      Honestly I’d be down for that. I have a new interest now

    • @3dmaster205
      @3dmaster205 Před 4 lety +16

      Or at least there was much more of its music used; the video about a musical instrument is entirely devoid of any actual music by the instrument. It only has a few example notes at the beginning, and the rest of the video is all but devoid music.

    • @lex3729
      @lex3729 Před 4 lety +5

      Well, He did just drone on and on and on...

    • @God-ch8lq
      @God-ch8lq Před 4 lety

      @@mileidyclass link plz?

  • @Mr_Doodleydoo
    @Mr_Doodleydoo Před 5 lety +2487

    Up next:
    Bionicle collection | Down the Rabbit Hole

    • @rnnres4749
      @rnnres4749 Před 5 lety +47

      This

    • @TotallyRadicalShow
      @TotallyRadicalShow Před 5 lety +62

      I now want this so badly.

    • @Fishin480
      @Fishin480 Před 5 lety +27

      Just found r/Bionicle it’s very interesting lol had some back in the day but some people go hard

    • @TotallyRadicalShow
      @TotallyRadicalShow Před 5 lety +59

      T B The lore is where shit gets real.

    • @notfunny490
      @notfunny490 Před 5 lety +57

      Piss Drawer | Down the Rabbit Hole

  • @Messy_Onion
    @Messy_Onion Před 4 lety +411

    I fell asleep with youtube on autoplay. I had a dream that I was trying to steal a weird mechanical instrument from a museum, escape through the photo a newspaper, then sell said instrument to this video's narrator.
    I woke up at the very end of the video and had to watch the whole thing. So crazy...

    • @honestexpression6393
      @honestexpression6393 Před 3 lety +3

      I've had a similar experience lol

    • @naftalibendavid
      @naftalibendavid Před 3 lety +2

      Yeah. I had the same dream. Where’s Jung when we need him?

    • @mikeoxmall3847
      @mikeoxmall3847 Před 3 lety +1

      I've had this happen to me, but they're usually nightmares cuz I fall asleep to those narrated true scary stories! Lol

    • @oumardiop1
      @oumardiop1 Před 3 lety +8

      i love it when things from the outside break into your dreams lol. this one time i had a dream i was in school, and the bell went off, and it turned out it was just my alarm clock

    • @elinor8569
      @elinor8569 Před 3 lety

      I had exactly the same experience. Great!

  • @EinsamPibroch278
    @EinsamPibroch278 Před 2 lety +9

    22:55 That quote was basically the "Eat Hot Chip and Lie" rant of his Century! 😂😂

  • @FUNKe
    @FUNKe Před 5 lety +2027

    weird flex but you know what i'm into it

  • @tangerineGamer
    @tangerineGamer Před 5 lety +1325

    Germany: Leier
    France: Vielle
    !
    England: HURDY GURDY

    • @deusexaethera
      @deusexaethera Před 5 lety +90

      The Brits have always liked rhyming names and expressions.

    • @amberbaum4079
      @amberbaum4079 Před 5 lety +89

      Just a small correction. Germany: Drehleier
      A Leier alone is a hand held harp-like instrument. Think of Troubadix (Cacofonix/Assurancetourix) from the Asterix & Obelix comic.

    • @Rubashow
      @Rubashow Před 5 lety +12

      'twas then when the Drehleier-man came singing songs of love' just doesn't have the same ring to it.

    • @petercarioscia9189
      @petercarioscia9189 Před 5 lety +7

      Hurr gurr

    • @squishykotetsu
      @squishykotetsu Před 5 lety +47

      @Nero von Aarfeste Have you seen the post on "what if the guy who named the walkie talkie named other objects"? Defibrilator? Heartie Startie! Fork? Stabbie Grabbie! etc

  • @LungsOutJem
    @LungsOutJem Před 4 lety +11

    Frankly, the hurdy gurdy sounds like so many different instruments that most people probably don't even realize how often it's used in games, movies, and other media.
    This video was very informative. Thank you.

  • @Kavukamari
    @Kavukamari Před 4 lety +22

    this is just fred showing us his favorite instrument and im here for it

  • @erik_gutierrez
    @erik_gutierrez Před 5 lety +2324

    Oh nice, finally a video on a subject that won't throw me into an existential crisis.

    • @Ashathefree8
      @Ashathefree8 Před 5 lety +96

      Maybe for you, but depending how the hurdy gurdy is played, it can make me very... introspective.

    • @dedicatedtransportation4130
      @dedicatedtransportation4130 Před 5 lety +56

      Yeah I love Fred's videos but I've been avoiding them like the plague as of late because they make me feel... not good. A video on an obscure instrument is a pleasent surprise

    • @Mephilis78
      @Mephilis78 Před 5 lety +36

      I don't know, as a guitar/bass/lute/drum/keyboard player, I think this is about as close to an existential crisis as I can get without acid.

    • @defconn100
      @defconn100 Před 5 lety +30

      @@dedicatedtransportation4130 Right? The TempleOS video legitimately had me fucked up for weeks. To see such a severe mental disorder so... intimately, it stays with you.

    • @professormohawk1
      @professormohawk1 Před 5 lety +2

      until you realize this is about 3000 years old and millions upon millions have played it and died

  • @vlbonnie
    @vlbonnie Před 4 lety +3041

    23:19 "Noblewomen born after 1730 don't know how to run a territory, all they know is speak Italian, play the viol, laugh, sing, never be on time, go to bed at 4 AM, drink champagne and lie"

  • @arthurjeremypearson
    @arthurjeremypearson Před 3 lety +26

    "Where did it come from?"
    (Picture of Jesus)
    I KNEW IT!

  • @interfear1
    @interfear1 Před 4 lety +90

    In general Spanish, the instrument is known as “zanfona”. But in parts of Spain, it’s called “gaita del pobre” or poor man’s bagpipe.
    There is a related instrument in Sweden called “nyckelharpa”.

    • @Lucius1958
      @Lucius1958 Před 4 lety +10

      The difference is that the "nyckelharpa" is played with a bow, rather than a wheel.

    • @RobertHalvarsson
      @RobertHalvarsson Před 3 lety +4

      Yes, there are several variants. In contemporary folk music the Nyckelharpa is not entirely uncommon in Sweden, together with the violin and the dragspel/the accordion.

  • @TalkingSoup
    @TalkingSoup Před 5 lety +976

    so my takeaway is that the french 1700s aristocracy kind of considered hurdy gurdy players to be like that one guy who always brings an acoustic guitar to parties and offers to play wonderwall

    • @kindledninja
      @kindledninja Před 4 lety +30

      This comment is highly underrated

    • @Demiglitch
      @Demiglitch Před 4 lety +9

      Well where else did you think Fredrik time travelled from?

    • @JikuAraiguma
      @JikuAraiguma Před 4 lety +16

      So the next evolution of that would be an Oasis Hurdy Gurdy cover?

    • @Crazelord91
      @Crazelord91 Před 4 lety +2

      Well played

    • @lucywucyyy
      @lucywucyyy Před 4 lety +6

      the concept of the poser dates far back

  • @ShootingStarNeo
    @ShootingStarNeo Před 5 lety +342

    "It was painted in the panel depicting hell, along with the bagpipes."
    It's 8 AM and I'm cracking up, thanks Fred.

    • @stunitech
      @stunitech Před 5 lety +20

      It was the dude with the flute up his arse in the same painting that bothers me...

    • @chadschmaltz9790
      @chadschmaltz9790 Před 5 lety +6

      @@stunitech I'm glad someone else was disturbed by that image.

    • @thirteenfury
      @thirteenfury Před 5 lety +4

      @@stunitech What, you've never heard the glorious brown notes produced by anal flutes before?

    • @smartasasackofhammer
      @smartasasackofhammer Před 5 lety +3

      But no accordions?

    • @TaLeng2023
      @TaLeng2023 Před 2 měsíci

      It's probably the intended instrument for the Butt Music

  • @midna2800
    @midna2800 Před 3 lety +7

    When you started playing I went "OOOOOOOOHH" in a super impressed manner, scaring my cat who was resting on my tummy.
    Seriously epic. So cool. Incredibly impressed.

  • @gatfatf
    @gatfatf Před 3 lety +312

    French aristocratic pastoral ideals be like: Charles, observe. Look at my little shoes, theyre appropriately shabby so I may prance about the muddy fields in all of its splendor. 👁👄👁
    Actual pastoral people: so our son starved to death yesterday.

    • @yonatanbeer3475
      @yonatanbeer3475 Před 3 lety +29

      Romantic Pastoral ideals are so gross. They're using actual people's suffering as an aesthetic.

    • @sirknight4981
      @sirknight4981 Před 3 lety +14

      @@yonatanbeer3475
      Lol, farming and living in a natural environment doesn't inherently mean suffering any more than simply living does. I guess in the modern world not living in a city = "suffering" but this is a pretty distorted and arrogant understanding of the human experience.

    • @genduncan506
      @genduncan506 Před 3 lety +29

      @@sirknight4981 back then it often did mean suffering.
      Lords owned the farmlands of an area, farmers often didnt even own any part of the land they worked on.
      The food they produced was taken to be sold - so they only got a small cut of it themselves, so their lords could make the most money.
      They were stuck at one of the very lowest classes. To keep food for themselves was considered theft from their lords.
      The idea of having a highly structured method of farming and food production, in theory, means more food and leisure for all.
      However, while more food was indeed produced, it (along with its wealth) wasnt spread around evenly.
      The farming peasants suffered. There was no "easy, fulfilling life on the fields" which can exist now.

    • @oumardiop1
      @oumardiop1 Před 3 lety +2

      @@yonatanbeer3475 yikes people idealizing peoples struggles ew couldnt be me sis✨

    • @KevinFreist
      @KevinFreist Před 2 lety

      @@sirknight4981 yes sir! those city dwellers are gross to usins here. we like sleeping to the cadence of cicadas and crickets. we si......gulp moonshine and catch catfishkes with our hands! the whole time there's atleast one 12 yr old beatin the livin hell out of a fiddle !try that concrete pounder!your next door neighbor would call the sherrif. my neighbors are 6 miles away ! HA!

  • @finlayl2505
    @finlayl2505 Před 5 lety +1292

    1: Oh, I didn't know you were a musician; what do you play?
    2: The hurdy gurdy
    1: Gesundheit

    • @Aendreud
      @Aendreud Před 5 lety +37

      Danke.

    • @realenderit
      @realenderit Před 5 lety +25

      @@Aendreud bitte

    • @Mephilis78
      @Mephilis78 Před 5 lety +3

      @@busimagen That horse was Pinky's one true love!

    • @charliedilltarde9881
      @charliedilltarde9881 Před 5 lety +2

      @@Mephilis78 thats my horse! *delivers unto your face a slap that would peel the paint off a barn door*

    • @MetFanMac
      @MetFanMac Před 5 lety +2

      @Mephilis 78 Close. The horse's name was Phar Fignewton, a parody of the nonsense word fahrvergnügen used in a Volkswagen advertising campaign as well as doubling as a reference to the legendary racehorse Phar Lap.

  • @madisonkunes6343
    @madisonkunes6343 Před 5 lety +741

    5:00 "Where did it come from?"
    *shows picture of Jesus*

    • @slappy8941
      @slappy8941 Před 5 lety +47

      Maybe it's the Holy Hurdy Gurdy of Antioch?

    • @pedrosampaio7349
      @pedrosampaio7349 Před 5 lety +18

      @@slappy8941 I think you mean 'Holy Hurdy-gurdy of Tripoli'

    • @basedokadaizo
      @basedokadaizo Před 5 lety +12

      i actually, out loud, yelled "JESUS?!" in the same tone as that one woman yelling "BEYONCE?!"

    • @cheezburgrproduction
      @cheezburgrproduction Před 5 lety +2

      Basic explanations for beautiful things.

    • @MadMamluk88
      @MadMamluk88 Před 5 lety +1

      Because sure, why not? He loved the hurdy gurdy.

  • @imsosmart942
    @imsosmart942 Před 2 lety +21

    I can't tell you how much I appreciated this video! I love that he included the art history as well as the audio history and the literature to corroborate and explain this instrument!

  • @SapientGalaxy
    @SapientGalaxy Před 3 lety +10

    I like to think he created this channel/series just so he could share his interest in this instrument with a wide audience.

    • @Thomas.Wright
      @Thomas.Wright Před 3 lety

      He could just make a hurdy-gurdy channel. Of course, he's not as cute as Patty, Fabi, Annie, or Michalina, so he'd have some stiff competition.

  • @MurdocIsASaint
    @MurdocIsASaint Před 5 lety +607

    Okay so this confirms it; I can listen to you talk about anything.

    • @PsychoSavager289
      @PsychoSavager289 Před 5 lety +17

      I can imagine Fredrik being a weatherman reporting a clear and sunny day, and it still somehow being intense and gripping.

    • @merrittanimation7721
      @merrittanimation7721 Před 5 lety +13

      He could describe paint drying and I'd still listen.

    • @oneearedrabbitproductions4364
      @oneearedrabbitproductions4364 Před 5 lety +5

      100% agree. Him and Metokur could just do videos of them reading a dictionary from start to finish and I'd listen.

    • @johndee2990
      @johndee2990 Před 5 lety +1

      I just clocked you in at 500

    • @johndee2990
      @johndee2990 Před 5 lety +2

      @@oneearedrabbitproductions4364 Metokur crafts the most unique insults

  • @reid3031
    @reid3031 Před 5 lety +1267

    "But, where did the hurdy-gurdy come from?"

  • @SyvernSycor
    @SyvernSycor Před 3 lety +12

    This is a great historical documentary for this instrument.
    It should be shared in High Schools and such.
    Thank you for providing this.
    Amazing work!

  • @kieravermeal9127
    @kieravermeal9127 Před 3 lety +3

    Do you remember The Polar Express? When we're properly introduced to the homeless ghost/angel, he's playing the hurdy gurdy!

  • @Seth_Wilson
    @Seth_Wilson Před 5 lety +237

    Lowkey, this video was just to show off his knowledge of the Hurdy Gurdy.

  • @CasaiAgicap
    @CasaiAgicap Před 5 lety +51

    End credit song should have been Fredrik cranking out a sweet hurdy gurdy solo

  • @alanparis8390
    @alanparis8390 Před rokem +10

    That was wonderful. I've been trying to explain the hurdy-gurdy to people and it's proved impossible for me. From now on, I'll just send them this video. I learned so much. I especially appreciated the focus on the DRONE as the essential aspect of its history and nature. That really pulled it together for me. Thank you, Fredrik Knudsen!

  • @MaidOfPasta
    @MaidOfPasta Před 4 lety +12

    4 years of a music education degree and I have never heard of this instrument’s fascinating history! Thank you for this video!

    • @fjb4932
      @fjb4932 Před 2 lety

      Once again (ad nauseum) a useless degree to actually helping someone produce useful work. At the end of the day, showing what you had produced to aid humanity versus little more than warm air.
      My sister "worked" for the U.S. Health Dept. for 35 yrs. She shuffled papers: if they had a paperclip she removed it, if it didn't she added one. If the papers were stapled she removed the staple, if not she stapled them. Every five or so packets she'd remove one of the center pages and add it to the next packet. Every coverpage had initial boxes and she'd add her initials before passing the forms on. She laughingly said the system's efficiency surely would go up when she took her vacation time or used her sick days (and probably once she retired). Yes, she received pay grade promotions and steady pay raises along with seniority step raises throughout her career. Always made sure to log in to work on time, spend some time each morning getting her morning coffee, stopping for morning break, taking lunch each day, stopping for afternoon break, attending every dept. meeting, and logging out at the end of the day exactly on time down to the minute. She enjoyed playing the game ...

    • @MaidOfPasta
      @MaidOfPasta Před 2 lety

      @@fjb4932 yo Nietzsche it’s a fucking hurdy gurdy.
      And is this a copypasta?? This feels like an r/thathappened to me. If this ends up on Reddit I want this to be circled in red, lol
      Seriously tho it’s literally impossible to learn every little thing about a topic in 4 years. I never said my degree was useless. I use my skills every day AND I get paid for it. Learning didn’t stop once I got handed my diploma. Chill out, my guy. Jiminy Christmas.

  • @CloudedByKatana
    @CloudedByKatana Před 4 lety +236

    "This is a question I can answer because I play the instrument" oh shit, that was a twist I was not expecting.

  • @Itried20takennames
    @Itried20takennames Před 4 lety +723

    Hugely expensive, complex and associated with royalty....but known as a “beggars instrument”? What a complex history. Thanks for telling it.

    • @steve00alt70
      @steve00alt70 Před 3 lety +4

      not really if you know what to look for you can get ones below 800

    • @JarthenGreenmeadow
      @JarthenGreenmeadow Před 3 lety +18

      @@steve00alt70 Hugely expensive in the medieval era.

    • @aleisterlavey9716
      @aleisterlavey9716 Před 2 lety +14

      Like fishsoup, once a meal of peasants, now high cuisine .

    • @WTfire10
      @WTfire10 Před 2 lety +7

      @@aleisterlavey9716 or lobsters

    • @KP3droflxp
      @KP3droflxp Před 2 lety +8

      I guess the beggars handed them down or created simple ones themselves. And if it’s your only valuable possession it’s not super expensive.

  • @Napalm-Eyes
    @Napalm-Eyes Před 3 lety +16

    You nailed it, I fell in love with the gurdy when I found Eluveitie back in ~2010. I've wanted to play one ever since but lately the pull has been particularly strong. Hoping to save up for a nice beginner piece in the future!

  • @BethDiane
    @BethDiane Před 11 měsíci +3

    Nice-- you've put together a lot of helpful information.
    One quibble: the word vielle actually has two syllables with the accent on the second syllable.
    This is important because it gives us the very punny French folk band named Ad Vielle Que Pourra, which is a pun on "advient que pourra," which is French for "come what may."

  • @NarrisNor
    @NarrisNor Před 5 lety +588

    Your intonation makes this all sound so conspiratorial! As if the Hurdy Gurdy is some kind of dark artifact. Great as always, though.

    • @deusexaethera
      @deusexaethera Před 5 lety +22

      It might as well be. There's like 5 people in America who know anything about it.

    • @MrLTiger
      @MrLTiger Před 5 lety +6

      because it is. IT IS.

    • @rasmusdegn9690
      @rasmusdegn9690 Před 5 lety +5

      How do we know it ISN'T the key to dark magic?

    • @ShootingStarNeo
      @ShootingStarNeo Před 5 lety +8

      DARK FREDRIK, SHOW ME THE FORBIDDEN INSTRUMENT

    • @pedrosampaio7349
      @pedrosampaio7349 Před 5 lety +3

      Our there... In shops and collections filled to the brim with chordophones... Hurdy-gurdies and nyckelharpas work in a conspiracy to...
      _experiement_
      On innocent fiddles and violins alike for their own, corrupted vices...
      Awaken, sheeple...

  • @thestonedabbot9551
    @thestonedabbot9551 Před 4 lety +241

    Can we all just appreciate how badass "The Proper Guide For The Person Striving Towards The Highest Goals" is for a document name

    • @mechanoid2k
      @mechanoid2k Před 3 lety +3

      Yeah they were a bunch of smarty pants back then. Now we have.....modern entertainment.

    • @darlapeelman1610
      @darlapeelman1610 Před 2 lety +1

      Agree, impressive.🥰

    • @UAVizUp
      @UAVizUp Před 11 měsíci +1

      I read this comment as he said this exact line what the fuck

  • @rigistroni
    @rigistroni Před 2 lety +2

    The down the rabbit hole music at the beginning being played on the hurdy gurdy was a nice touch

  • @paige2327
    @paige2327 Před 4 lety +3

    My grandpa used to always talk about the instrument, but never giving context. He wouldn’t say that he played it, or heard it. He would just slide the instrument name into a conversation. I never knew that it was a real instrument, and it was so familiar to me.

  • @Mac348
    @Mac348 Před 5 lety +373

    "... can cost up to 5 or $6000 dollars" Fredrik made this video just to flex on us

    • @PongoXBongo
      @PongoXBongo Před 5 lety +25

      A fine use of that sweet sweet CZcams money, if you ask me. ;)

    • @meowtherainbowx4163
      @meowtherainbowx4163 Před 5 lety +25

      To be fair, guitars technically can, too. Maybe he got his for less. I might be more concerned about the upkeep because I barely know how to change my guitar strings.

    • @Mac348
      @Mac348 Před 5 lety

      @@meowtherainbowx4163 fair point

    • @VibrantlyBrantly
      @VibrantlyBrantly Před 5 lety +3

      "can cost upwards of" doesn't mean that's what he paid.

    • @DECAYERRRR
      @DECAYERRRR Před 5 lety +5

      @@VibrantlyBrantly An entry-level hurdy gurdy costs about $2,000. Cheaper ones exist but they're mostly sold to con people who don't do much research.

  • @honeybunchesofstoats3017
    @honeybunchesofstoats3017 Před 5 lety +991

    "...because I play the hurdy gurdy"
    Me: Superb you funky little biped

    • @nyx9208
      @nyx9208 Před 4 lety +18

      Splendid you groovy small homo-sapien

    • @matheussanthiago9685
      @matheussanthiago9685 Před 4 lety +9

      ​@@nyx9208 stunning indeed carbon-based life form relatively smaller compared to its peers

  • @WelfareChrist
    @WelfareChrist Před 4 lety +7

    This is the best side of CZcams, passionate people talking about what stirs them. I absolutely loved this! Ever since accidentally coming across a performance by Matt Loibner (forgive me if I misspelled his name) I’ve been fascinated by this instrument and as I was already familiar with your work I was delighted to find this. Bravo!!

  • @Atvsrawsome
    @Atvsrawsome Před 5 měsíci +1

    My uncle plays the bag pipes. He lives up a valley near our family farm. Every once in a while in the evenings he will play and it sounds haunting. This instrument reminds me very much of that sound echoing through the hills of western wisconsin.

  • @FluffyCloudsandCats
    @FluffyCloudsandCats Před 5 lety +789

    "Hurdy Gurdy? What horrors could this strange phrase bring...."
    oh its about an instrument

    • @wegner7036
      @wegner7036 Před 5 lety +3

      You say that like musical instruments can't be horrid. The brazen bull would disagree.

    • @danielkleefromusa
      @danielkleefromusa Před 5 lety +5

      @@wegner7036 Or the viola

    • @wegner7036
      @wegner7036 Před 5 lety +3

      @Capsaicin What's so horrible about that?

    • @suezuccati304
      @suezuccati304 Před 5 lety +2

      @@danielkleefromusa now im curious

    • @cako666
      @cako666 Před 5 lety +2

      @@wegner7036 Uhm, the brazen bull was not an instrument, it was a brass sculpture with a horn that "transformed" the screams. Though you should take the bull with a grain of salt, there has never been proof of one actually existing. It's more likely it was just propaganda agaist the tyrant Phalaris.

  • @TrueFirebrand
    @TrueFirebrand Před 5 lety +492

    I honestly like the occasional break from crippling stories of madness for more informative stuff, good job.

  • @MarcSattel
    @MarcSattel Před rokem +3

    I used to play the bagpipes and shawns in a medieval band for a long part of my life. I am utterly delighted to learn you, who does amazing videos, plays a likeminded instrument.

  • @elektrolyte
    @elektrolyte Před rokem +2

    this video must qualify as the World Record for including the MOST BLACK FRAMES in a PRODUCTION

  • @socoamarettojustine
    @socoamarettojustine Před 5 lety +305

    i know YT cares about engagement, so here's a comment. thank you for making this content, you inspire more people with every upload.

    • @Tgr2k1
      @Tgr2k1 Před 5 lety +3

      I posted a comment for the same reason.

    • @antonybraus325
      @antonybraus325 Před 5 lety +2

      Ditto dawggie

    • @Mephilis78
      @Mephilis78 Před 5 lety +1

      CZcams cares = oxymoron of the day.....
      Also didn't "CZcams cares" used to be a joke...or a meme? Or am I getting it mixed up with a Craig Ferguson joke?

    • @CatBoyCass
      @CatBoyCass Před 5 lety +1

      engaged comment

  • @alexl3438
    @alexl3438 Před 5 lety +429

    I always expect these videos to cover a dark topic, got me on edge even when you’re explaining an instrument

    • @EvilBr0wnie
      @EvilBr0wnie Před 5 lety +3

      Pretty good video at least, like If he was going down in the rabbit hole about something that he likes

    • @Lifesizemortal
      @Lifesizemortal Před 5 lety +27

      he could read the phone book and i'd shit my pants

    • @noname-bv4lh
      @noname-bv4lh Před 5 lety

      dank* topics

    • @JoshKnoxChinnery
      @JoshKnoxChinnery Před 5 lety

      The delivery is always that of a dark documentary, even when talking about something he's excited by.

  • @CommanderApple
    @CommanderApple Před 4 lety +25

    I would love to learn how to play this instrument but the entry level cost is killing pretty much every budget :/

    • @ironguard4048
      @ironguard4048 Před 3 lety

      Ill sell you mine if you're still interested in it?

    • @MusicAndMaggie
      @MusicAndMaggie Před 3 lety

      @@ironguard4048 Are you legit selling a hurdy gurdy?

  • @Infinite_Archive
    @Infinite_Archive Před 3 lety +7

    And so, after Brian David Gilbert got a hurdy gurdy, I will watch this video.

  • @kattyt23
    @kattyt23 Před 5 lety +476

    I dont understand how fredrik can make a video about literally anything and I just get lost in it. I'm so happy you're back

    • @MrAlfredDM
      @MrAlfredDM Před 5 lety +4

      Hence the title down the rabbit hole haha

    • @KayleeCee
      @KayleeCee Před 5 lety +1

      There's a guy on CZcams who makes videos about the history and inner workings of various electronics, both modern and obsolete, and they're absolutely fascinating. He's even made a couple of videos about toasters that were great. Some people just have a unique talent for making almost any subject interesting.

    • @nikoscarrotkiller1947
      @nikoscarrotkiller1947 Před 5 lety +1

      @@KayleeCee what guy?

    • @KayleeCee
      @KayleeCee Před 5 lety +1

      @@nikoscarrotkiller1947 His channel is called Technology Connections.

    • @nikoscarrotkiller1947
      @nikoscarrotkiller1947 Před 5 lety

      @@KayleeCee thank you I'll check it out

  • @0Yuro0
    @0Yuro0 Před 5 lety +551

    I would really enjoy a full video of Fredrik playing the Hurdy Gurdy

    • @technopoptart
      @technopoptart Před 5 lety +4

      hell, i think i could do three or four. when he started playing i was smitten

    • @Arcaxon
      @Arcaxon Před 5 lety +4

      He did stream himself playing the Hurdy Gurdy on his Twitch!

    • @Arcaxon
      @Arcaxon Před 5 lety

      @Tyler Coon That's basically what the stream were also talking about how he couldn't get Mae to cooperate(Mae being the name of his first Hurdy Gurdy)

  • @ThePragart
    @ThePragart Před 3 lety +1

    What an absolute treat! Thank you for this upload!

  • @Beardqt
    @Beardqt Před 4 měsíci +1

    This video sparked my interest in these instruments when it came out and I finally bought one at the end of last year, it's being hand made and should be here by march and I came back here to get a refresher, thanks again!

  • @LULZLSKennedy
    @LULZLSKennedy Před 5 lety +91

    "But the lowest point of the instrument was yet to come"
    Jesus christ it goes further?!

  • @danielbissett-taylor4450
    @danielbissett-taylor4450 Před 5 lety +383

    "It can't get much worse than this" said the instrument strongly associated with the disabled and French nobility.
    "Are you sure about that?" Replied the Guillotine

    • @boscorner
      @boscorner Před 5 lety +16

      "Is Guillotine an instrument?"

    • @trashrabbit69
      @trashrabbit69 Před 5 lety +22

      @@boscorner No, Robespierre... guillotine is not an instrument.

    • @justletmelistthese
      @justletmelistthese Před 5 lety +25

      @@trashrabbit69 But it has sickest bass drops.

    • @trashrabbit69
      @trashrabbit69 Před 5 lety +10

      @@justletmelistthese I almost lost my head laughing at that pun.

    • @PBRStreetgang
      @PBRStreetgang Před 5 lety

      Fucking got 'em!

  • @twokool4skool129
    @twokool4skool129 Před 4 měsíci +2

    "The keys produce a precussive sound"
    Only on the bad and cheap instruments, where builder or owner chose not to spend $5 on felt. On nicer felted gurdies, there is no clacking, so you can actually hear the music instead of keyboard clatter.

  • @agirlnamedbrett.
    @agirlnamedbrett. Před 2 lety +1

    you my friend are one fascinating dude!!! I did not expect you to pull out a damn hurdy gurdy

  • @drpwnage23
    @drpwnage23 Před 4 lety +2506

    This video is desperately lacking actual music made with a hurdy gurdy

    • @dang2443
      @dang2443 Před 4 lety +113

      EXACTLY! A half hour documentary where we never actually hear what it sounds like

    • @ellpoyohlokoh
      @ellpoyohlokoh Před 4 lety +27

      @@dang2443 look up a song called omen on hurdy gurdy, it's amazing

    • @alicedarner1344
      @alicedarner1344 Před 4 lety +8

      If you like metal, look up Black Magic Fools.

    • @zordanxxx
      @zordanxxx Před 4 lety +3

      that was my thought and still wondering why

    • @Mewobiba
      @Mewobiba Před 4 lety +2

      Can recommend the Swedish band Dråm.

  • @stoneocean4760
    @stoneocean4760 Před 5 lety +230

    Me: Oh I hope next episode will feature some enigmatic entity or some obscure person!
    Fredrik:

    • @gtolex86
      @gtolex86 Před 5 lety +27

      Fredrik: I play the
      H U R D Y
      G U R D Y...

  • @Humannamehere
    @Humannamehere Před 4 lety

    Your videos never fail to intrigue. Thanks for making this!

  • @shilohbridgewater6407
    @shilohbridgewater6407 Před 2 lety +2

    I have to say..its refreshing to come across such a niche video with unbiased facts and history with no ads..wish more content creators would follow in your steps.
    I applaud you good sir👏👏🙌

  • @jamesbarnousky1270
    @jamesbarnousky1270 Před 4 lety +362

    "There's no way I'm going to sit here for half an hour and watch a video about the Hurdy Gurdy"
    30 minutes later:

  • @Zoomy
    @Zoomy Před 5 lety +348

    Kinda sad the soundtrack isn't period-appropriate compositions of the Hurdy Gurdy played by Fredrik.

  • @somethingclever6264
    @somethingclever6264 Před 3 lety +1

    I love how thorough these videos are.

  • @Summerbabe08080
    @Summerbabe08080 Před 4 lety +25

    This has to be the coolest instrument with the geekiest name ever.

  • @Wolf10media
    @Wolf10media Před 5 lety +101

    "...Because I play the Hurdy Gurdy"
    You don't say.

    • @4jwdc997
      @4jwdc997 Před 5 lety +7

      My esteem for Fredrik absolutely skyrocketed upon hearing that.

    • @deusexaethera
      @deusexaethera Před 5 lety +5

      *piqued

    • @Wolf10media
      @Wolf10media Před 5 lety +1

      @@deusexaethera thank you

  • @MattGarZero
    @MattGarZero Před 5 lety +138

    Years of quality edutainment all leading up to this, his magnum opus on an instrument I never knew existed. Well played, Knudsen, well played.

  • @dmccoy9509
    @dmccoy9509 Před 7 měsíci +1

    My son is Brian McCoy who now lives in France. Thanks for making a much needed video.

  • @MrMoneyclips
    @MrMoneyclips Před 2 lety +2

    "FLEX, FREDERIK!!! FLEX NOW!" God said, as he needed white noise.

  • @PattyGurdy
    @PattyGurdy Před 5 lety +689

    Thank you for mentioning me :) nice video!

    • @FredrikKnudsen
      @FredrikKnudsen  Před 5 lety +183

      I was wondering if you'd see this! I'm so glad you enjoyed it.

    • @smilesfordays
      @smilesfordays Před 5 lety +30

      Fredrik Knudsen
      Your content is the best anyway, but thank you for revitalizing this under appreciated instrument. I first saw a gurdy when a guy was busking downtown in Portland Or. and fell in love. Thank you both for keeping this amazing sound alive and in public consciousness.

    • @sweesbees
      @sweesbees Před 5 lety +2

      Fredrik Knudsen this is wholesome

    • @deadfIag
      @deadfIag Před 4 lety +15

      @@Potato-Eye Brainless mutant.

    • @factgawd1098
      @factgawd1098 Před 4 lety +12

      @@rokivulovic7598 you a gay or somthin

  • @-kenik9629
    @-kenik9629 Před 5 lety +416

    I'm here because a D&D bard smacked a dude with one of these.

    • @phillthylucid2629
      @phillthylucid2629 Před 4 lety +13

      I need to know this story... please?

    • @B...-B906
      @B...-B906 Před 4 lety +7

      I dont need sleep, i need answers!!!

    • @jfm14
      @jfm14 Před 4 lety +5

      Don't just leave 'em hanging... give the people what they want!

    • @katherinemontgomery1063
      @katherinemontgomery1063 Před 4 lety +7

      Would you have to roll that as an improvised weapon? Or does it have it's own attack roll?

    • @pickleskpg
      @pickleskpg Před 4 lety +9

      I played a Hurdy Gurdy Bard in a recent campaign. It counted as an improvised weapon.

  • @Hyraethian
    @Hyraethian Před 3 lety +1

    Hurdy Gurdy go BRRR
    In all seriousness, that was a very thorough history on a beautiful instrument.

  • @AnomalousVixel
    @AnomalousVixel Před 3 měsíci +1

    I came for the hurdy gurdy and I stayed for the beautiful oration. I don't think I've ever thought so keenly about the sheer art and engineering behind both writing and narrating a documentary script. This isn't just listenable, it's intuitive and digestible - sectioned, marked, and punctuated clearly by tone and cadence. For some context there, I have both ADHD and dyslexia so retaining and organizing information can be precarious. There's a palpable difference here that's reducing the "gear slippage" I usually experience.
    Yeah... I think I'll be subscribing.

  • @HankHill429
    @HankHill429 Před 5 lety +1356

    You seem like the guy to play a weird instrument no one has heard of

    • @ElianaDAngelo
      @ElianaDAngelo Před 5 lety +8

      Throw some soundgoodizer on that and your set!

    • @Tinlion09
      @Tinlion09 Před 5 lety +4

      I don’t know if he still does it, but there was this guy on Something Awful who held a yearly summer thread where he encouraged people to learn how to play “weird” instruments. Ocarina, theremin, stuff like that. He also focused on relatively cheap instruments so anyone could participate, though, so hurdy-gurdies were probably out of the question.
      Actually, I wonder where you get a good ocarina these days. I had one with Kokopelli carved into it from that one site that always advertised in Nintendo Power when I was like eleven.

    • @stick6969
      @stick6969 Před 5 lety +1

      @@Tinlion09 www.stlocarina.com/

    • @pinkimietz3243
      @pinkimietz3243 Před 5 lety +2

      I know the hurdy gurdy. But I also seem like a girl who plays a weird board game that no one heard of. All by her own.
      Do you know smellory? Anyone? My favorite. It's basicly trivial pursuit but with scents.

    • @pinkimietz3243
      @pinkimietz3243 Před 5 lety +4

      @@JoshuaNorton Ah yes. Our common medieval markets where we play the hurdy gurdy every weekend! Crazy Euros!
      You're a larper. Come on. Am I right?

  • @Kj16V
    @Kj16V Před 5 lety +454

    Hurdy gurdy: when you keep crafting your violin until it's totally OP.

    • @ityabean
      @ityabean Před 4 lety +39

      It's like a character build that takes several feats and a prestige class to work, but oh man does it WORK

    • @doctorsnakeeater1997
      @doctorsnakeeater1997 Před 4 lety +28

      The ultimate weapon of a Bard.

    • @phillthylucid2629
      @phillthylucid2629 Před 4 lety +1

      More likes people c’mon!

  • @GarlandCoulson
    @GarlandCoulson Před 2 lety

    Great video. Thank you so much for creating it.

  • @octagram2955
    @octagram2955 Před 3 lety +1

    It's coming back up again, and CZcams just drops this in my feed. Dope

  • @gar2yc
    @gar2yc Před 5 lety +101

    It's a beautifully sounding instrument... And a working clusterfuck of enginery.

  • @MrATN800
    @MrATN800 Před 5 lety +55

    I am happy someone with your reach is popularizing this instrument

  • @BeautifulCrazyy
    @BeautifulCrazyy Před 2 lety +2

    Imagine this dude being your child. The range of emotions the parents must have had but I'm sure ending with being super proud of this young man.

  • @doriangrayapologist
    @doriangrayapologist Před 4 lety +3

    hearing the monotoned Fredrik say “hurdy gurdy” made my day.

  • @kood995
    @kood995 Před 5 lety +756

    Nobody:
    Fredrick: Y'all wanna learn about the hurdy gurdy?

  • @TheLegend1800
    @TheLegend1800 Před 5 lety +726

    "laugh, sing, never be on time, and always go to bed at 4 am"
    Apparently, I'm a 17th century fashion chaser.

  • @elli4865
    @elli4865 Před 4 měsíci +1

    thanks for this video man!! i’m writing an art history paper on the blind hurdy gurdy player so i’m glad u covered its history!!🙌

  • @raysmith1630
    @raysmith1630 Před 2 lety

    This video was a bit of a revelation for me. Thanks for posting this.