Lessons on the Hurdy-Gurdy
Yes, it's true, you can take hurdy gurdy lessons, and I teach them.
Lessons can be online or in person. Tuition is $45 / 45 minutes or $60 / hour and you can use the button up there ^^^ to book online. Or just email me and I can find a time slot that will work for you.
If you are unsure about lessons, or even if you don’t own a hurdy-gurdy yet and just want to try some out, just email me! There have been a lot of advancements in hurdy-gurdies in the last several years and the ability to ship them safely to you in the USA has greatly improved. The most up-to-date information about the latest models as well as recommendations and pricing are available on GurdyWorld.com
Rental Instruments
Starting in July of 2026, I will have a small fleet of rental instruments available. Costs for renting an instrument will be $60/month. If you are interesting in reserving an instrument and a lesson time-block with me, email me!
About my Teaching Background
I have over 20 years experience teaching private lessons and ensemble classes. I studied music theory, composition and performance at The Boston Conservatory at Berklee College of Music in Boston and I use this foundation to teach hurdy-gurdy by enforcing good technique and practice habits. I believe that if you learn how to play correctly then you can play anything you want on the hurdy-gurdy. It is an instrument that is not limited, it can be anything you want it to be.
Preparing for Hurdy-Gurdy Lessons
- If you do not read music, do not worry, I will teach you how.
- If you have never played an instrument before, do not worry, the gurdy is a good instrument to learn on.
- If you do not own a hurdy-gurdy, don’t buy one from Etsy, please either email me or visit GurdyWorld.com to read about the Luthiers that make quality instruments.
- If you can take lessons in person with me, I have instruments available to rent.
- If you need to have a consultation about which hurdy-gurdy to buy, you can do that for free with me – it’s no problem.
- Don’t worry, just contact me and I can help you. If you need instrument advice, I can help you with that too.
- You’ll want to purchase a metronome (such as the Seiko Quartz Metronome) and download a tuner app (such as the Pano Tuner App), it’s also handy to have your string tuning chart provided by your Luthier so you know what your strings should be tuned to, cotton, and rosin.
Free Sheet Music and Studies to Help You
Hurdy-gurdy sheet music is available for download online on the GurdyWorld website under Resources->Sheet Music. This includes duets I have arranged, pieces I’ve found and transposed to work on Hurdy-gurdy, and anything else that may be of use to the Beginner or continuing Student, including some exercises and studies.
Scales, Triads and Inversions
OK, first of all, just download this awesome Scale Book. This Scale Book has all the information you will ever need about Scales, Triads, Modes, all the things you will use to practice so that you can play hurdy-gurdy tunes.
Remember, Scales, Triads and Inversions are some of the first things you should learn on Hurdy-Gurdy, these simple exercises help with finger, arm coordination and timing. All the fingering and everything you need, including modes and triads, are in this Scale Book for Hurdy-Gurdy.
Modes, Modes, Modes
Modes are very useful in HG music as the drone is one of the key components of the sound. Creating music based off a firm understanding of modal architecture in music theory helps you quickly master improvisation and compositional types.