If the cheapest decent guitar was $1500 we wouldn't have half of the great guitar players we have today. If point of entry is too high then people just wont try it. IMO some one needs to make a factory produced instrument selling for about $500 that is acceptable quality. Even if it means limiting the feature set (fewer strings etc). This will give people a chance to try the instrument and see if its for them. I can learn guitar on a $100 instrument and it may not sound the best but as long as it is setup correctly it will be 'OK' to learn on.
It's not impossible to buy a $100 guitar that plays ok, the trouble is you have to go look at a bunch of them in person to find a good one, and if you're a beginner you won't necessarily know the good one when you see it. At the very least in that situation you should budget another $50 to get a luthier to correct the worst problems with the purchase. But the reason you can do that is because there are a handful of simple 'standard' designs that everyone has copied over and over again until the market is totally flooded with them. Les Paul copies, Strat copies, occasionally a Tele copy or something a little more unusual; the overseas factories have perfected these things and churned out so many pieces over the years that by now you can find just about any variation you might possibly want already made and sitting there waiting for you to buy it. Or you can buy a kit that has everything you need but a few tools and build it yourself. There aren't many people making Gurdy's and if someone wants to start making them it's not so easy just to find a good one to copy.
Then make your point of entry a keyboard or violin, which have similar aspects to a gurdy, to see if you even dig playing an instrument at all. I always wanted to play guitar growing up but my family couldn’t afford to get me one. But..my school had a music program. So I started out trying different stuff like violin, clarinet, and trumpet. I eventually landed on sax and played for two years. Then eventually got a guitar. Learning other instruments, much like patty did, made learning the guitar easier. If you really want to learn, then you’ll find away to get there.
Hi Patty, I completely agree with getting a good quality instrument when starting out is best because a cheap instrument can cause one to get frustrated and quit.
Good honest talk! I like that you did not "sugar coat" the answer to how much an instrument can cost! Good instruments especially handmade ones do cost money! Some people spend way to much money on video games! It just depends upon what you value and people will always find the money for the things they really want!
I am interested in learning more about your thoughts about gurdy selection, and your motivation to learn such a unique instrument. You've been quite a rare find here on RUclips.
I am 2 years late in discovering Patty . I build and play cigar box guitars currently and one of the suppliers of parts offered a very small build yourself hurdy gurdy kit . But they all sold out before I could order one and they havn't restocked as I'm guessing people had a hard time making them sound good . On a lark I decided to search hurdy gurdy on youtube and found you . I am really inspired by you Patty to get a good gurdy but I am of limited means at this time and have seen very simple home made gurdy's with 2 or 3 strings and the player depresses the strings across a fret board like a guitar . I am going to start there and over time afford a good middle class gurdy and follow you and your music . Love you Patty !
I'm very interested in your music! I love what you've put out so far, it's so amazing and I can't wait for more...and don't listen to that guy. You're absolutely gorgeous! Keep up the incredible work 😁
Great video, and I agree 100% with your comments on quality versus price. It's better to pay for something that will work than spend 1/2 of that on something that doesn't. No one is saying you should buy the very best and most expensive gurdy to start out with; just one that is good enough.
I'm happy to watch whatever kind of content you want to produce - controversial views and reviews of instruments, stories about your music career so far, whatever you want to tell us or show us. I'm fairly sure most of your subscribers are here because we like you, we think your music rocks & we want to know more about what makes you tick. Oh and correct: you are a very pretty pale person :-)
2024 here & Patty has moved on from a being brilliant, beautiful, gifted girl into an accomplished, kindly & simply outstanding young woman. Your family must be stoked, I would be. Cheers from Australia.
I imagine that if you purchase a more expensive hurdy gurdy you're not only investing in your own musical journey but that they probably also keep their value quite well, if looked after? I'd love to see videos of you comparing hurdy gurdys and about your musical background and I for one think that the glow of your alabaster complexion is rather lovely :)
Not every 'cheap' instrument is bad at all. It all a lot depends on the instruments complexity and popularity. Usually simple and popular instruments can and do sound very good even the cheaper ones, because they tend to be perfected over time by the industries to sell more of them. A good example would be a violin, experiment showed 98% of the violinists and musicians participating couldn't tell the difference between real Stradivarius and a £150 violin; moreover some even said the new cheaper violin sounded better (this was a blind test ofc).
So good to hear this. I love the hurdy gurdy and as much as I would love to learn it I can't justify paying a grand for something that I may be bored with. I have been playing the mandalin for years but this is a different level
If you type "Hurdy Gurdy Census - Zanfoneando" into google there is a census of players and where they are located. You might be close to someone with an instrument if you ever wanted to try it out!
I recently bought a hurdy gurdy made by Mihaly Vrabel in Hungary, I just received it this Monday, it is very simple but complete for 630€ the barokk model, no ornaments, not beautiful head on the neck, no sympathetic strings (he is adding as option), it has 5 strings anyway including 2 chanters. It is a solid construction and quite loud i think as I compare with other ones I could see. Vrabel can do it because he is living in a country where the life cost is still be lower compared to other European countries. I am really pleased to play it. He has good contact when replying by mail. It is my first hurdy gurdy, I am myself currently building a synphony, which it is far to be playable yet. French or German luthier are really more expensive, i understand well, they offer a kind of artisanal jewel but you need to pay for it !
Hi. One of my sons has bought himself good hurdy gurdy for a lot of 💰. He's been waiting for a year until was finished and now he's very happy. Though he is a beginner I see progress every week. And seeing my son happy makes me happy too.
Agree with your comments concerning cheap gurdys or most other instruments. You do get what you pay for, and the sound quality usually improves with the price. We have a HG association locally, which is a great place to get more information. Keep cranking!
Florian Euchale Blum True. That's how I started on the guitar. Fiddles and upright basses are another matter :). Not knowing the hurdy hurdy, I wouldn't have any idea how tone wood selection and details to the craftsmanship affect the sound. But that's why we are here - Patty will tell us! (Please!)
I agree, remember though that popular and less complex instruments will be always cheaper. My acoustic and classical guitars costed me only £150 together and they sound really good and unique. With cheaper instruments in my opinion the thing you should always change to get the most of the instruments are strings.
Your peaches and cream skin tone is strikingly beautiful. I'm glad you don't seem the type to be easily swayed by others. Here in Texas we would say, "You're cuter'n a speckled pup under a little red wagon".
Learning a new instrument is so much better than watching tv.....as I’m basically watching tv on my phone. I need to fix my priorities You look like an angel by the way ;)
Your comments about wasting money on a cheap instrument are spot on. In the mid 1980's, I bought an already built from a kit gurdy for $250.00 US. I play enough stringed instruments and have a good enough ear, that I had no problem getting the key flags approximately to the correct intonation. The big problem was I could not find any instructions on how the set it up to sound decent. This was pre-internet days, and both books I found on the gurdy dealt more with the history and traditional tunings than it did with how to properly set it up. I wound up giving the instrument to a friend in Canada at a Celtic Festival we went to regularly. I love the sound, but these days, if I wanted a gurdy sound I would probably find one of my musician friends and have them play it on a recording for me. Thanks for the straight ahead advice. And, you don't need a tan. As an older person who wears long sleeved shirts and broad brimmed hats outside in the summer, tans are over rated.
Hi there Patty Gurdy. The recently introduced Ugears hurdy-gurdy, which you very diplomatically decided not to name in your video, is a delightful and entertaining TOY. It is a great coffee table knick-knack but, as a hurdy-gurdy, it is useless. No one should ever buy one of these in order to find out if the gurdy is an instrument they really want to play. That’s like buying a toy piano to find out if you want to purchase a Steinway. You are a WONDERFUL ambassador for the hurdy-gurdy and I’m a big fan. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!
It's also a good introduction to the instrument, I don't think anyone expects it to be comparable to a 3000 dollar instrument but if you get the U-Gears kit and like what you can do with it it's going to give you a reason to save up for a real hurdy gurdy. It's easy for established players/musicians to recommend saving up for a instrument, but imagine a scenario in which you are a parent and your kid learns about the HG and wants to learn how to play. In no way does it make sense to drop a thousand dollars for something the kid might end up tossing to the side after a few days. If your kid is interested, they will learn what little can be done on the u-gears HG and then you can think of buying a real one if they show interest.
I bought a Ugear for amument and to get the slightest of tastes for the instrument. I would love to have a real HG but start up cost is really very prohibitive in my life right now unfortunately.
I agree, the Ugears hurdy gurdy is a delightful toy. I had loads of fun putting it together but I never expected it to sound good. It's just not possible to create rich, deep sounds out of a tiny, plywood toy.
After playing the pipes for years, I am looking closely at learning the gurdy. Thanks for the info. (And no, you do not need a tan; such ridiculous previous comments)
To whoever suggested Patty needs a tan, I can't disagree more. Not only do I doubt she can tan, with her complexion, to do so would be a mistake. Each person has a unique pigment set, some of which can be modified today, but not the base color pallette. I was first discovered Patty because of the hurdy, which was of momentary interest. The instrument was pleasant, but her talent with it got my attention, and have amazing voice keep me listening. I then flipped my phone face up and saw Patty, her beauty is spellbinding. Patty, be who you are, change nothing.
I'm learning violin, but I think the hurdy gurdy's sound very beautiful. For now, I appreciate your music, it's very pleasant to me. In the future, I would like to understand this incredible instrument. I hear you on spotify while I'm on my way to my clients on roads from Brazil. Thanks. Ps.:Excuse my... My inglish is very limited. :)
Hi Patty, since I found your channel I fell in love, haven't missed a video. So, I've been wondering where do you get your inspiration, what bands do you listen to or gets reference from. :)
Nice video Patty :-) Discussing the price of HG's very diplomatically. However, I miss a third option: rental instruments :-) In Germany, Belgium, The Netherlands and France there are organisations who offer rental gurdies for beginners. Perhaps in other countries too, I don't know for sure. Beginners can rent an hurdygurdy, so they can try for a year (or longer) and decide if they like to invest in an own instrument. It's a good sollution for those who find an instrument too expensive :-) Kind regards, Menno
Hey, Patty. I completely agree that a high quality instrument is key. They sound incredible and they last a lifetime is you take care of them. However, I will say that if you're uncertain if the instrument in question is something you could see yourself playing longterm then buying a cheap version could be just the thing and here's why: it could spark the interest without hurting your wallet! Even the crudest instrument can play tunes even if they don't sound very crisp and clear and just being able to sit with yourself and play songs on your instrument is such a joy as you know. As an example, I once considered buying a really cheap electric guitar and a very small amp (it was included). The gear was NOT good, no doubt, but the price made it possible for me to buy it and try it out. My brother advised against it and so I ended up not buying anything at all which was a shame 'cause I could've been rockin' today. Luckily, I have my trusty, old Takamine G-series, acoustic Western guitar (bought it about 10 years ago for 820 dollars) and I still enjoy playing it from time to time. I just never made the step up to the electric guitar.
My thought regarding the assemble at home gurdy is that it would be a decent insight into how the instrument works so that I can take my own skills to attempt making my own
The Ugears hurdy gurdy is a toy for those hat like to build things. I have their safe in my office at work and it took quite a bit of time to put it together. I have their hurdy gurdy on pre-order and it will be fun putting it together. I would love to own a real hurdy gurdy and learn to play, but I am lacking the time and money. I am happy to just listen to your music. Keep making videos 😬
Hey Patty I have a question. There seems to be a few different styles of keys on hurdy gurdy, some have 12 notes, others have two rows of notes... What would be the best to get?
I think non musicians should start out with a beginners cheap Hurdy Gurdy just to see if playing and instrument, with all the commitment it takes is right for them. For a retired Pro musician like me that plays guitar and keyboards, commitment is not a problem. I would want something that sounds great like when I go into a music store. Something that would inspire me to learn a new instrument, one that sounds like yours Patty. So I'm going to have to start saving.
Your complexion and your auburn hair make you stand out from the crowd, and are part of your natural beauty. Everybody, of every race, should be proud of the things that make them unique!
I would love to hear some folk music on your gurdy! Can we get videos where you play old songs? Also your fan base is growing here in the Pacific NW/Olympic Peninsula Patty! Keep it up!
Dad had a sign in his workshop many years ago. "Quality is like buying oats. If you want good clean oats, you must pay a fair price. If, however, you are content with oats which have already been through the horse, those are a little cheaper."
Moonblaze Of Riverclan lol what you can get a clarinet for a few hundred dollars and be just fine. You’re misinformed. A clarinet is a mass produced instrument with plenty of new middle schoolers doing just fine with cheap ones in schools every school year.
I have seen a few hurdy hurdy players they typically have 6 or 8 strings I have never seen one with 18 strings. And you are great at playing it. Other players I have seen don't sing. The hurdy hurdy with your voice is amazing. Just to add I live in USA and I would like so see you here.
Thanks for the video! Comparing the hurdy gurdy to other instruments would be quite interesting; I played piano, but that was nearly a couple decades ago :-( Would the hurdy gurdy be closer to violin or guitar?
Sorry Patty I one more thing to talk about, I once bought a Mexican strat structurly was solid but as it turned out the guts the inner workings were junk and my pots had gone bad so I sold it to this guy and he told me all this and what he does is to tear all the guts out and put in American made guts and when you do that you have a true strat for half the price of an American strat and you good to go!!!!!
I am a musician, but I cannot afford the price of a hurdy gurdy. Of course the cost that is involved and then when it's been sold to someone else it should give a bad name to the original maker. Quality is important, but something for a wann a be player - yes, a wanna be player. I appreciate your self advertising, but this is not constructive. I enjoy your music, I sincerely wish there was not a "CHEAP" instrument yo buy, but investing in a Hurdy Gurdy is almost like buying a home. I'm sorry to express things this way. I am a guitarist and Bassist, but as you know this is a beautiful instrument. THANKS SO MUCH.
Pale? Those people have never met a lovely Irish lass like yourself. (Edit:I literally just found you like 30 minutes before I posted this, and I swear your accent sounded Irish to me, I know now that you're German. Still really far north to explain the skintone though.) I think I am going to purchase one of those cheap diy Gurdies simply because I've never heard of this before. I saw one on CB Gitty, and the video brought up your videos in the sugfestions afterwards. I must say I'm quite mesmerized by your instrument, and you have a wonderful bluesy voice as well. My hope is that playing the gurdy is more akin to piano than it is guitar. I'm more mechanically inclined than the feel it takes to make guitar sound good. And by guitar I mean complex classical guitar.
Don't worry about the skin color. I'm Asian and white, so I can tan, but it also goes away pretty easily, and getting a tan isn't worth the added risk of skin cancer.
Hmmm....cute...talented....well spoken...slightly more color than a wall...... Perfect!!! Keep on being YOU! That's why most of us are here. Thank you!
I found a gurdy that appears to be of good quality and looks pretty nice, and in the video of a demo playing it sounds pretty good as well. It's about 1300, and even has a few more of the "midrange" features of a more advanced instrument. There's a 6ish month waiting list, and personally... I'm gonna go for it 😅 I've been dying to start learning with an actual instrument in my hands for like... A decade... So if it ends up being legit and good quality, it's totally worth it. 🤷🏻♂️ I don't plan on giving up once I commit to buying a gurdy, so...
Thank you for promoting the idea of investing in a quality instrument rather than "starting" with a cheap instrument. So many times the instrument discourages a new player. I try to tell people this, but so many people don't want to listen. Also, as someone who works in the violin business, Hurdy Gurdys do not seem so expensive at $1500 for a decent one. Totally reasonable when you consider how much work goes into each one
I love your music Patty! Are there any online stores that you recommend to purchase a hurdy gurdy? I haven't had much luck finding one in a music store near me :(
I play many different instruments and I completely concur with your admonition to always buy a quality instrument. This is possibly even more critical as a new player, because an instrument that is poorly made, difficult to play and having poor sound quality will quickly discourage a novice and likely lead to abandoning the endevour altogether. I have made the mistake of buying a cheap first instrument in the past and now have some nice looking house decorations to show for it. That is all they wound up being good for. That was money lost, as they are worthless for music and I would not want to burden anyone else with them. Thankfully, my resolve to continue was not dampened. I learned my lesson and now I ALWAYS buy the best instrument I can afford. In the long run you will save money and have a much more satisfying and enjoyable experience with that new friend, whatever kind of instrument it might be. I love your music, and that wonderful Hurdy Gurdy! I hope to add one to my life sometime soon! Blessings to you!
I definitely think that Hurdy Gurdies are pricey but they're also a complicated instrument with a ton of parts, Nyckelharpa is the same way, a lot of strings and a lot of keys etc etc. Even if you had machines mass producing these parts, there's so much that goes into assembling them that there's no real way to streamline the process. One also has to ask themselves if they really need say...an 18 string green gurdy :P For me there's just too much there for me to utilize as the gurdy is not my primary instrument unlike yourself, in fact I don't even really have personal use in trompette strings which is why my gurdy only has two drones and two melody strings, but I use it for recording and not crazy talented pirate folk shredding. It works for my needs, maybe not others. For anyone looking into the instrument, the price point is daunting but you'll be pleased with the outcome.
A little opinion, I think a music instrument is something forever, for all the life. So, leaving the hurry to get one (but thinking far, in time), once a good good one is bought, the person won't need to search again. I play the most played instrument (the good and old acoustic guitar), and for children who are starting, the parents sometimes buy cheap, poor instruments, that have bad quality, some second hand ones needing adjustments (for example, curved arm and more force is needed to press the strings), so the children give up. "I'll see if my son gets interested, and then I'll buy a new one". I think it can also happen with an adult that buys him/herself a bad one.
Could you go into a video about looking for a purchasing a hurdy gurdy, or where to find beginner material, and stuff for people interested in just starting?
there are two schools of thought on this, and it applies to all hobbies and arts. you can go cheap, if you don't mind basically giving away your cheap starter gear when its time to upgrade, or if money is no object and you just want to try it before going all in. pitfalls of this are that cheap instruments, no matter what kind, usually give subpar performance and sound. which makes you think your no good at it, when in reality its the instrument holding you back. When i first started guitar i had an old used electric with worn out frets, and i could not get it to stop buzzing or muting no matter how hard i pressed. was about to give up when i tried a friends guitar and was blown away by how much i had already learned when played on a good instrument. Or, you can set your mind to the goal of mastering the instrument and go all-in on a quality rig from the start. this can carry some risk, as if you don't get along with the instrument and you quit, you now have a very expensive used instrument to sell at a loss. Thats the only real downside to going expensive. this is a bigger decision with most instruments, as you can get very cheap guitars, keyboards, even violins, saxophones, etc etc in the $100-200 range. with hurdy gurdys... "cheap" is $900 US. buying a 900 dollar chinese made ebay special to me seems VERY sketchy. There is really no decision to be made with gurdys, just get the expensive one so you at least have a prayer of reselling it if you lose interest. good luck selling a USED Chinese ebay special. LOL
I've checked myself lately. The cheapest I've found was around 2k. Apperently there's no limit upwards. You can even get one for the price of a better car around 5-6k.
I'm snow white also, nothing wrong with that, us red hair are naturally pale we don't really tan if at all. For the gurdy, it's like any good quality instrument, start saving now! even if it takes a year of putting money in a jar every week, you'll get it eventually. Most people of average income can find ways to save a bit, we spend on so many useless things.
You are impressive on the gurdy. I have played guitar on and off for years. I'm not sure if I could play a gurdy. But it is beautiful ! What would be a satisfactory beginner model? I don't want cheep...just not going to spend 3000 on something I don't know how to play. There seems to be quite a difference between the herdy gerdys on people's channels. Strings in different places and tuning knobs are different too. Correct me if I am wrong please...but this seems like a nice mix between bagpipes and harpsichord. It's got such a deep rich sound. Because of the different strings and the rythem/ or what I think of as the 'rattle string' Thank you for the video. : - ) If you have any suggestions or ideas please let me know.
Love your music Patty.... your off to a good start. Be careful as you clime up the latter of fame and popularity. Stay true to your self and your music. So many people in the U.S. have started out as you are now and drugs and the fast life destroyed their future just as it was getting started. You have an enormous amount of talent, keep pushing forward and don't look back. You should set up a PayPal account to sell your music. People get nerves sending money to unknown accounts.( Just a thought.)
I'm curious about your new Gurdy. Nine strings with optional capos. I like the layout and form/shape of Walter's instruments. would you mind terribly sharing the price range for an instrument of that caliber?. I also like that you stained yours very dark. It gives the instrument a richness where most gurdy's I've seen seem pale and a bit harsh. . . not meaning to be harsh, but I prefer richer color tones. My hammered dulcimer is Mahogany (floating top) while my lap dulcimer is walnut and gum. both have incredible voices with full rich tones. Love what you're doing here Patty. thanks for sharing.
I do think that knowing a little more about your musical background would help people figure out how easy they might find learning the gurdy. It wouldn't need to be an exhaustive list, just basics along the lines of some of the instruments you play and how long you've been playing them. As for another question, I've been wondering how personal a gurdy feels as an instrument - it's one thing to try playing somebody else's piano (with permission!) but I don't think anyone would want someone else playing their harmonica, and I'm curious where the gurdy fits on that spectrum.
On Ebay instrument purchases - never ever buy an instrument you plan to play seriously without actually testing it out. That pretty much rules out Ebay. If there is a very solid return policy, you can buy online and consider the return period as your test period. Even the same make and model of any handmade instrument will have significant differences from one instrument to the next. You don't want to get stuck with a bad example of a make/model you know you otherwise like because you didn't get to play it before you were committed.
Was tempted by a cheap-ass gurdy, but you are right. Low quality instruments are no way to learn, and I'mma stick with violin 🎻. Could you tell us more about your green gurdy? It's cool!! (Rachel, California)
If the cheapest decent guitar was $1500 we wouldn't have half of the great guitar players we have today. If point of entry is too high then people just wont try it. IMO some one needs to make a factory produced instrument selling for about $500 that is acceptable quality. Even if it means limiting the feature set (fewer strings etc). This will give people a chance to try the instrument and see if its for them. I can learn guitar on a $100 instrument and it may not sound the best but as long as it is setup correctly it will be 'OK' to learn on.
Chris Cuthbertson agree
There is a pretty good one from gallopin gurdies for $250
Supply and demand.
It's not impossible to buy a $100 guitar that plays ok, the trouble is you have to go look at a bunch of them in person to find a good one, and if you're a beginner you won't necessarily know the good one when you see it. At the very least in that situation you should budget another $50 to get a luthier to correct the worst problems with the purchase. But the reason you can do that is because there are a handful of simple 'standard' designs that everyone has copied over and over again until the market is totally flooded with them. Les Paul copies, Strat copies, occasionally a Tele copy or something a little more unusual; the overseas factories have perfected these things and churned out so many pieces over the years that by now you can find just about any variation you might possibly want already made and sitting there waiting for you to buy it. Or you can buy a kit that has everything you need but a few tools and build it yourself. There aren't many people making Gurdy's and if someone wants to start making them it's not so easy just to find a good one to copy.
Then make your point of entry a keyboard or violin, which have similar aspects to a gurdy, to see if you even dig playing an instrument at all. I always wanted to play guitar growing up but my family couldn’t afford to get me one. But..my school had a music program. So I started out trying different stuff like violin, clarinet, and trumpet. I eventually landed on sax and played for two years. Then eventually got a guitar. Learning other instruments, much like patty did, made learning the guitar easier. If you really want to learn, then you’ll find away to get there.
Hi Patty, I completely agree with getting a good quality instrument when starting out is best because a cheap instrument can cause one to get frustrated and quit.
Hey! You published this on my birthday! Love your videos, Patty, can't wait for more! Your passion is inspiring.
Good honest talk! I like that you did not "sugar coat" the answer to how much an instrument can cost! Good instruments especially handmade ones do cost money! Some people spend way to much money on video games! It just depends upon what you value and people will always find the money for the things they really want!
I am interested in learning more about your thoughts about gurdy selection, and your motivation to learn such a unique instrument. You've been quite a rare find here on RUclips.
You are an amazing musician, keep listening to your heart and follow your passion in life. Great things will come your way!
Yes, please do a video on your musical background and career! I'm super impressed by how long it took you to pick up the coup de quatre!!
I am 2 years late in discovering Patty . I build and play cigar box guitars currently and one of the suppliers of parts offered a very small build yourself hurdy gurdy kit . But they all sold out before I could order one and they havn't restocked as I'm guessing people had a hard time making them sound good . On a lark I decided to search hurdy gurdy on youtube and found you . I am really inspired by you Patty to get a good gurdy but I am of limited means at this time and have seen very simple home made gurdy's with 2 or 3 strings and the player depresses the strings across a fret board like a guitar . I am going to start there and over time afford a good middle class gurdy and follow you and your music . Love you Patty !
Hi Miss Gurdy, Been interested in the Gurdy for a while now and I just discovered your music AMAZING! Put out more music I love it.
I'm very interested in your music! I love what you've put out so far, it's so amazing and I can't wait for more...and don't listen to that guy. You're absolutely gorgeous! Keep up the incredible work 😁
"A poor workman always blames his tools." But I've never seen a craftsman with cheep tools. :D
"A poor workman always blames his tools, mostly because he's poor and can't afford anything better."
thanks for this. i get asked all the time about "cheap" or "beginner instruments." - you make the right points!
Great video, and I agree 100% with your comments on quality versus price.
It's better to pay for something that will work than spend 1/2 of that on something that doesn't.
No one is saying you should buy the very best and most expensive gurdy to start out with; just one that is good enough.
I'm happy to watch whatever kind of content you want to produce - controversial views and reviews of instruments, stories about your music career so far, whatever you want to tell us or show us. I'm fairly sure most of your subscribers are here because we like you, we think your music rocks & we want to know more about what makes you tick. Oh and correct: you are a very pretty pale person :-)
Plan to pick one of these up after learning the acoustic guitar in the next couple years. The sound a Hurdy Gurdy makes is magical.
Would love to learn after mastering my guitar. But 1500 for a good beginner one? I guess if I sell my son I'd have a chance. 😞
It is possible to rent an Hurdy Gurdy for few months if you want to try. Just ask to an instrument maker.
I'm sure you didn't pay $50 for your guitar. ;P
Nope but was when I didn't have a child, a house or a car.
A hurdy gurdy has far, far more components than a guitar - and they have to work exactly, or the instrument sounds horrible.
Kill two birds with one purchase.
2024 here & Patty has moved on from a being brilliant, beautiful, gifted girl into an accomplished, kindly & simply outstanding young woman. Your family must be stoked, I would be. Cheers from Australia.
Lmao! I love that about the "arse"! you told him well. Thank you!
I imagine that if you purchase a more expensive hurdy gurdy you're not only investing in your own musical journey but that they probably also keep their value quite well, if looked after? I'd love to see videos of you comparing hurdy gurdys and about your musical background and I for one think that the glow of your alabaster complexion is rather lovely :)
Yes, a good hurdygurdy (which is looked after properly) keeps often its value
Not every 'cheap' instrument is bad at all. It all a lot depends on the instruments complexity and popularity. Usually simple and popular instruments can and do sound very good even the cheaper ones, because they tend to be perfected over time by the industries to sell more of them. A good example would be a violin, experiment showed 98% of the violinists and musicians participating couldn't tell the difference between real Stradivarius and a £150 violin; moreover some even said the new cheaper violin sounded better (this was a blind test ofc).
I must second Simon B's overall position. Well made gear is always better. And Patty, you are wonderful as you are.
Olgierd T. Cheaper variations are better for some genre's of music, because they can have (as an example) a rougher sound to them.
So good to hear this. I love the hurdy gurdy and as much as I would love to learn it I can't justify paying a grand for something that I may be bored with. I have been playing the mandalin for years but this is a different level
If you type "Hurdy Gurdy Census - Zanfoneando" into google there is a census of players and where they are located. You might be close to someone with an instrument if you ever wanted to try it out!
I recently bought a hurdy gurdy made by Mihaly Vrabel in Hungary, I just received it this Monday, it is very simple but complete for 630€ the barokk model, no ornaments, not beautiful head on the neck, no sympathetic strings (he is adding as option), it has 5 strings anyway including 2 chanters. It is a solid construction and quite loud i think as I compare with other ones I could see. Vrabel can do it because he is living in a country where the life cost is still be lower compared to other European countries. I am really pleased to play it. He has good contact when replying by mail. It is my first hurdy gurdy, I am myself currently building a synphony, which it is far to be playable yet. French or German luthier are really more expensive, i understand well, they offer a kind of artisanal jewel but you need to pay for it !
I find it really interesting Patty!!! You should really make more content! Cheers from Texas xD
Hi. One of my sons has bought himself good hurdy gurdy for a lot of 💰. He's been waiting for a year until was finished and now he's very happy. Though he is a beginner I see progress every week. And seeing my son happy makes me happy too.
Agree with your comments concerning cheap gurdys or most other instruments. You do get what you pay for, and the sound quality usually improves with the price. We have a HG association locally, which is a great place to get more information. Keep cranking!
To be fair, for 100 bucks you can get a "decent" guitar that is perfectly fine when it comes to learning how to play it.
Florian Euchale Blum True. That's how I started on the guitar. Fiddles and upright basses are another matter :). Not knowing the hurdy hurdy, I wouldn't have any idea how tone wood selection and details to the craftsmanship affect the sound. But that's why we are here - Patty will tell us! (Please!)
I agree, remember though that popular and less complex instruments will be always cheaper. My acoustic and classical guitars costed me only £150 together and they sound really good and unique. With cheaper instruments in my opinion the thing you should always change to get the most of the instruments are strings.
Do you play Bard in D&D with a Gurdy? :p
I would definitely love to hear what other instruments you play!
Hey Patty I realize this is a old Post but it was nice to see you so gurdy on....!!!!
Your peaches and cream skin tone is strikingly beautiful. I'm glad you don't seem the type to be easily swayed by others. Here in Texas we would say, "You're cuter'n a speckled pup under a little red wagon".
Hey girl! On top of being a great artist, you are a true beauty. And your skin is just beautiful! Just ignore the trolls.
Learning a new instrument is so much better than watching tv.....as I’m basically watching tv on my phone. I need to fix my priorities
You look like an angel by the way ;)
Your comments about wasting money on a cheap instrument are spot on. In the mid 1980's, I bought an already built from a kit gurdy for $250.00 US. I play enough stringed instruments and have a good enough ear, that I had no problem getting the key flags approximately to the correct intonation. The big problem was I could not find any instructions on how the set it up to sound decent. This was pre-internet days, and both books I found on the gurdy dealt more with the history and traditional tunings than it did with how to properly set it up. I wound up giving the instrument to a friend in Canada at a Celtic Festival we went to regularly. I love the sound, but these days, if I wanted a gurdy sound I would probably find one of my musician friends and have them play it on a recording for me. Thanks for the straight ahead advice. And, you don't need a tan. As an older person who wears long sleeved shirts and broad brimmed hats outside in the summer, tans are over rated.
Yes, you should make a video about these "new" hurdy gurdies. Absolutely make a video about this!!
Hello Patty, i liked your "leaves and lemons" video song vey much❤❤
Hi there Patty Gurdy. The recently introduced Ugears hurdy-gurdy, which you very diplomatically decided not to name in your video, is a delightful and entertaining TOY. It is a great coffee table knick-knack but, as a hurdy-gurdy, it is useless. No one should ever buy one of these in order to find out if the gurdy is an instrument they really want to play. That’s like buying a toy piano to find out if you want to purchase a Steinway. You are a WONDERFUL ambassador for the hurdy-gurdy and I’m a big fan. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!
It's also a good introduction to the instrument, I don't think anyone expects it to be comparable to a 3000 dollar instrument but if you get the U-Gears kit and like what you can do with it it's going to give you a reason to save up for a real hurdy gurdy. It's easy for established players/musicians to recommend saving up for a instrument, but imagine a scenario in which you are a parent and your kid learns about the HG and wants to learn how to play.
In no way does it make sense to drop a thousand dollars for something the kid might end up tossing to the side after a few days. If your kid is interested, they will learn what little can be done on the u-gears HG and then you can think of buying a real one if they show interest.
I bought a Ugear for amument and to get the slightest of tastes for the instrument. I would love to have a real HG but start up cost is really very prohibitive in my life right now unfortunately.
Yeah just search these up on RUclips, they sound pretty bad.
I agree, the Ugears hurdy gurdy is a delightful toy. I had loads of fun putting it together but I never expected it to sound good. It's just not possible to create rich, deep sounds out of a tiny, plywood toy.
@@NoorNahas If the instrument is any good, it can always be sold on. There will always be interested buyers.
Oooh controversy! Opinions! Yes please! :D
After playing the pipes for years, I am looking closely at learning the gurdy. Thanks for the info. (And no, you do not need a tan; such ridiculous previous comments)
Thank you patty, like your style of course creative sound of Guitar 🎼
To whoever suggested Patty needs a tan, I can't disagree more. Not only do I doubt she can tan, with her complexion, to do so would be a mistake. Each person has a unique pigment set, some of which can be modified today, but not the base color pallette. I was first discovered Patty because of the hurdy, which was of momentary interest. The instrument was pleasant, but her talent with it got my attention, and have amazing voice keep me listening. I then flipped my phone face up and saw Patty, her beauty is spellbinding. Patty, be who you are, change nothing.
I'm learning violin, but I think the hurdy gurdy's sound very beautiful.
For now, I appreciate your music, it's very pleasant to me.
In the future, I would like to understand this incredible instrument.
I hear you on spotify while I'm on my way to my clients on roads from Brazil.
Thanks.
Ps.:Excuse my... My inglish is very limited. :)
Started the accordion similar, bought expensive quality and was worth it.
Hi Patty, since I found your channel I fell in love, haven't missed a video. So, I've been wondering where do you get your inspiration, what bands do you listen to or gets reference from. :)
Lol. We The Pale appreciate your tan, Patty.
Yes please Patty don't be a stranger it's nice seeing you....
I don't make a habit of flirting or giving out superficial compliments, but you are a Goddess of nature.
Nice video Patty :-) Discussing the price of HG's very diplomatically.
However, I miss a third option: rental instruments :-) In Germany, Belgium, The Netherlands and France there are organisations who offer rental gurdies for beginners. Perhaps in other countries too, I don't know for sure. Beginners can rent an hurdygurdy, so they can try for a year (or longer) and decide if they like to invest in an own instrument. It's a good sollution for those who find an instrument too expensive :-)
Kind regards,
Menno
Hey, Patty.
I completely agree that a high quality instrument is key. They sound incredible and they last a lifetime is you take care of them. However, I will say that if you're uncertain if the instrument in question is something you could see yourself playing longterm then buying a cheap version could be just the thing and here's why: it could spark the interest without hurting your wallet! Even the crudest instrument can play tunes even if they don't sound very crisp and clear and just being able to sit with yourself and play songs on your instrument is such a joy as you know. As an example, I once considered buying a really cheap electric guitar and a very small amp (it was included). The gear was NOT good, no doubt, but the price made it possible for me to buy it and try it out. My brother advised against it and so I ended up not buying anything at all which was a shame 'cause I could've been rockin' today. Luckily, I have my trusty, old Takamine G-series, acoustic Western guitar (bought it about 10 years ago for 820 dollars) and I still enjoy playing it from time to time. I just never made the step up to the electric guitar.
My thought regarding the assemble at home gurdy is that it would be a decent insight into how the instrument works so that I can take my own skills to attempt making my own
The Ugears hurdy gurdy is a toy for those hat like to build things. I have their safe in my office at work and it took quite a bit of time to put it together. I have their hurdy gurdy on pre-order and it will be fun putting it together. I would love to own a real hurdy gurdy and learn to play, but I am lacking the time and money. I am happy to just listen to your music. Keep making videos 😬
Hey Patty I have a question. There seems to be a few different styles of keys on hurdy gurdy, some have 12 notes, others have two rows of notes... What would be the best to get?
I think non musicians should start out with a beginners cheap Hurdy Gurdy just to see if playing and instrument, with all the commitment it takes is right for them. For a retired Pro musician like me that plays guitar and keyboards, commitment is not a problem. I would want something that sounds great like when I go into a music store. Something that would inspire me to learn a new instrument, one that sounds like yours Patty. So I'm going to have to start saving.
but seriously love ur work keep it up
Your skin is beautiful! I would love to hear about your journey with hurdy gurdy and music in general =).
Your complexion and your auburn hair make you stand out from the crowd, and are part of your natural beauty. Everybody, of every race, should be proud of the things that make them unique!
Yep,she's a genuine person.All she needs to do is just carry on being herself.
"Be yourself - nobody else is qualified for the job!" :-)
Telling a ginger to get a tan is like talling a paraplegic to go for a run. It's a dumb comment by whomever made it.
Ace Lightning she is a butiful women
And very talented, too!
I would love to hear some folk music on your gurdy! Can we get videos where you play old songs? Also your fan base is growing here in the Pacific NW/Olympic Peninsula Patty! Keep it up!
Also what are you recommendations on other awesome gurdyists or other ways to listen and to find more! You're amazing and we can't get enough gurdy!
the renaissance fair in todd mission texas would be the perfect place for you to play. Its a festival that goes on for about a month 1 time a year.
Dad had a sign in his workshop many years ago. "Quality is like buying oats. If you want good clean oats, you must pay a fair price. If, however, you are content with oats which have already been through the horse, those are a little cheaper."
$1,500 for a beginner instrument, ouch...I'll stick to guitar and be the pleb I am.
Clarinets are worse, a real good beginning clarinet is about 2.500
Moonblaze Of Riverclan lol what you can get a clarinet for a few hundred dollars and be just fine. You’re misinformed. A clarinet is a mass produced instrument with plenty of new middle schoolers doing just fine with cheap ones in schools every school year.
Hey...I play a kalimba...and I know a single song...gravity theme song...
My 3/4 upright bass was 5k back in highschool orchestra. And that was high end of the "entry level" of spectrum.... possibly mid range?
Banjo player here. I spent $500, but many banjoists consider a proper beginner instrument to float around $1000.
I have seen a few hurdy hurdy players they typically have 6 or 8 strings I have never seen one with 18 strings. And you are great at playing it. Other players I have seen don't sing. The hurdy hurdy with your voice is amazing. Just to add I live in USA and I would like so see you here.
Thanks for the video! Comparing the hurdy gurdy to other instruments would be quite interesting; I played piano, but that was nearly a couple decades ago :-(
Would the hurdy gurdy be closer to violin or guitar?
Pale is the way to go!!! Don't worry about them haha
Sorry Patty I one more thing to talk about, I once bought a Mexican strat structurly was solid but as it turned out the guts the inner workings were junk and my pots had gone bad so I sold it to this guy and he told me all this and what he does is to tear all the guts out and put in American made guts and when you do that you have a true strat for half the price of an American strat and you good to go!!!!!
Eye makeup is on point.
I am a musician, but I cannot afford the price of a hurdy gurdy. Of course the cost that is involved and then when it's been sold to someone else it should give a bad name to the original maker. Quality is important, but something for a wann a be player - yes, a wanna be player. I appreciate your self advertising, but this is not constructive. I enjoy your music, I sincerely wish there was not a "CHEAP" instrument yo buy, but investing in a Hurdy Gurdy is almost like buying a home. I'm sorry to express things this way. I am a guitarist and Bassist, but as you know this is a beautiful instrument. THANKS SO MUCH.
+1 on the "better than TV"
Pale? Those people have never met a lovely Irish lass like yourself. (Edit:I literally just found you like 30 minutes before I posted this, and I swear your accent sounded Irish to me, I know now that you're German. Still really far north to explain the skintone though.) I think I am going to purchase one of those cheap diy Gurdies simply because I've never heard of this before. I saw one on CB Gitty, and the video brought up your videos in the sugfestions afterwards. I must say I'm quite mesmerized by your instrument, and you have a wonderful bluesy voice as well. My hope is that playing the gurdy is more akin to piano than it is guitar. I'm more mechanically inclined than the feel it takes to make guitar sound good. And by guitar I mean complex classical guitar.
I'd love to know more about your music history ^.^
You're such a purty Gurdy, Patty!
Don't worry about the skin color. I'm Asian and white, so I can tan, but it also goes away pretty easily, and getting a tan isn't worth the added risk of skin cancer.
Hi Patty, when are you coming to the United States ? We live in Colorado about 35 minutes from Red Rocks ! That place you would love to play at !
I would really love to see a video about how to get a good gurdy and what the best price range is.
Hmmm....cute...talented....well spoken...slightly more color than a wall...... Perfect!!! Keep on being YOU! That's why most of us are here. Thank you!
"Keep on being YOU! That's why most of us are here. " Exactly!
Pale skin, red hair, blue eyes, it doesn't get any better. Really enjoy your music.
I found a gurdy that appears to be of good quality and looks pretty nice, and in the video of a demo playing it sounds pretty good as well. It's about 1300, and even has a few more of the "midrange" features of a more advanced instrument. There's a 6ish month waiting list, and personally... I'm gonna go for it 😅 I've been dying to start learning with an actual instrument in my hands for like... A decade... So if it ends up being legit and good quality, it's totally worth it. 🤷🏻♂️ I don't plan on giving up once I commit to buying a gurdy, so...
I feel you girl, Im very pale as well, I got used to the jokes haha
Thank you for promoting the idea of investing in a quality instrument rather than "starting" with a cheap instrument. So many times the instrument discourages a new player. I try to tell people this, but so many people don't want to listen. Also, as someone who works in the violin business, Hurdy Gurdys do not seem so expensive at $1500 for a decent one. Totally reasonable when you consider how much work goes into each one
absolutely right :) greetings!
I love your music Patty! Are there any online stores that you recommend to purchase a hurdy gurdy? I haven't had much luck finding one in a music store near me :(
I play many different instruments and I completely concur with your admonition to always buy a quality instrument. This is possibly even more critical as a new player, because an instrument that is poorly made, difficult to play and having poor sound quality will quickly discourage a novice and likely lead to abandoning the endevour altogether. I have made the mistake of buying a cheap first instrument in the past and now have some nice looking house decorations to show for it. That is all they wound up being good for. That was money lost, as they are worthless for music and I would not want to burden anyone else with them. Thankfully, my resolve to continue was not dampened. I learned my lesson and now I ALWAYS buy the best instrument I can afford. In the long run you will save money and have a much more satisfying and enjoyable experience with that new friend, whatever kind of instrument it might be.
I love your music, and that wonderful Hurdy Gurdy! I hope to add one to my life sometime soon!
Blessings to you!
I definitely think that Hurdy Gurdies are pricey but they're also a complicated instrument with a ton of parts, Nyckelharpa is the same way, a lot of strings and a lot of keys etc etc. Even if you had machines mass producing these parts, there's so much that goes into assembling them that there's no real way to streamline the process. One also has to ask themselves if they really need say...an 18 string green gurdy :P For me there's just too much there for me to utilize as the gurdy is not my primary instrument unlike yourself, in fact I don't even really have personal use in trompette strings which is why my gurdy only has two drones and two melody strings, but I use it for recording and not crazy talented pirate folk shredding. It works for my needs, maybe not others. For anyone looking into the instrument, the price point is daunting but you'll be pleased with the outcome.
I Love You music and really would like you to make another video and can you recommend somewhere to get a good beginner Gertie.
A little opinion, I think a music instrument is something forever, for all the life. So, leaving the hurry to get one (but thinking far, in time), once a good good one is bought, the person won't need to search again. I play the most played instrument (the good and old acoustic guitar), and for children who are starting, the parents sometimes buy cheap, poor instruments, that have bad quality, some second hand ones needing adjustments (for example, curved arm and more force is needed to press the strings), so the children give up. "I'll see if my son gets interested, and then I'll buy a new one". I think it can also happen with an adult that buys him/herself a bad one.
You should do a gurdy shootout of a starter gurdy and a top shelf gurdy.
Could you go into a video about looking for a purchasing a hurdy gurdy, or where to find beginner material, and stuff for people interested in just starting?
there are two schools of thought on this, and it applies to all hobbies and arts.
you can go cheap, if you don't mind basically giving away your cheap starter gear when its time to upgrade, or if money is no object and you just want to try it before going all in. pitfalls of this are that cheap instruments, no matter what kind, usually give subpar performance and sound. which makes you think your no good at it, when in reality its the instrument holding you back. When i first started guitar i had an old used electric with worn out frets, and i could not get it to stop buzzing or muting no matter how hard i pressed. was about to give up when i tried a friends guitar and was blown away by how much i had already learned when played on a good instrument.
Or, you can set your mind to the goal of mastering the instrument and go all-in on a quality rig from the start. this can carry some risk, as if you don't get along with the instrument and you quit, you now have a very expensive used instrument to sell at a loss. Thats the only real downside to going expensive.
this is a bigger decision with most instruments, as you can get very cheap guitars, keyboards, even violins, saxophones, etc etc in the $100-200 range. with hurdy gurdys... "cheap" is $900 US. buying a 900 dollar chinese made ebay special to me seems VERY sketchy. There is really no decision to be made with gurdys, just get the expensive one so you at least have a prayer of reselling it if you lose interest. good luck selling a USED Chinese ebay special. LOL
I've checked myself lately. The cheapest I've found was around 2k. Apperently there's no limit upwards. You can even get one for the price of a better car around 5-6k.
Having a good instrument will inspire one more.
Do you ever plan to come to the USA? I would love to see you!
I'm snow white also, nothing wrong with that, us red hair are naturally pale we don't really tan if at all. For the gurdy, it's like any good quality instrument, start saving now! even if it takes a year of putting money in a jar every week, you'll get it eventually. Most people of average income can find ways to save a bit, we spend on so many useless things.
Imagine someone saying a girl is too black.
You're right about that comment being racist.
Also, your music is fucking rad!
This is a very curious instrument is like to just have one around to good around with
Talented Red Headed musician . But you have a beautiful voice too ! Good looking red Head too ! Wow !
You are impressive on the gurdy.
I have played guitar on and off for years. I'm not sure if I could play a gurdy. But it is beautiful !
What would be a satisfactory beginner model? I don't want cheep...just not going to spend 3000 on something I don't know how to play.
There seems to be quite a difference between the herdy gerdys on people's channels. Strings in different places and tuning knobs are different too.
Correct me if I am wrong please...but this seems like a nice mix between bagpipes and harpsichord.
It's got such a deep rich sound. Because of the different strings and the rythem/ or what I think of as the 'rattle string'
Thank you for the video.
: - )
If you have any suggestions or ideas please let me know.
Love your music Patty.... your off to a good start. Be careful as you clime up the latter of fame and popularity. Stay true to your self and your music. So many people in the U.S. have started out as you are now and drugs and the fast life destroyed their future just as it was getting started. You have an enormous amount of talent, keep pushing forward and don't look back.
You should set up a PayPal account to sell your music. People get nerves sending money to unknown accounts.( Just a thought.)
I'm curious about your new Gurdy. Nine strings with optional capos. I like the layout and form/shape of Walter's instruments. would you mind terribly sharing the price range for an instrument of that caliber?. I also like that you stained yours very dark. It gives the instrument a richness where most gurdy's I've seen seem pale and a bit harsh. . . not meaning to be harsh, but I prefer richer color tones. My hammered dulcimer is Mahogany (floating top) while my lap dulcimer is walnut and gum. both have incredible voices with full rich tones. Love what you're doing here Patty. thanks for sharing.
I do think that knowing a little more about your musical background would help people figure out how easy they might find learning the gurdy. It wouldn't need to be an exhaustive list, just basics along the lines of some of the instruments you play and how long you've been playing them.
As for another question, I've been wondering how personal a gurdy feels as an instrument - it's one thing to try playing somebody else's piano (with permission!) but I don't think anyone would want someone else playing their harmonica, and I'm curious where the gurdy fits on that spectrum.
I love your music more power to you
On Ebay instrument purchases - never ever buy an instrument you plan to play seriously without actually testing it out. That pretty much rules out Ebay. If there is a very solid return policy, you can buy online and consider the return period as your test period. Even the same make and model of any handmade instrument will have significant differences from one instrument to the next. You don't want to get stuck with a bad example of a make/model you know you otherwise like because you didn't get to play it before you were committed.
Patty, you don't need any tan!! Bad, Bad, Bad!! Pale skin is so much more beautiful looking, and much healthier. And tans look cheap!!
"You look so pale, are you sick?"
I know that feel :DD
Looking forward to the album!
Feeling.
The wall is talking about hurdy gurdy's! :P
Was tempted by a cheap-ass gurdy, but you are right. Low quality instruments are no way to learn, and I'mma stick with violin 🎻. Could you tell us more about your green gurdy? It's cool!! (Rachel, California)