Hurdy-Gurdy music? Of course! Listed below are the freely available books, sheets, and collections that we know of. Have some you know about that we don’t? Contact us!
Downloadable PDFs
- Armins Notensammlung für Drehleier
- Das kleine Notenbuch GC Edition
- David Bawden Tunebook
- English Country Dance-Lark Camp
- French – Breton Tunebook
- French Open Band – Leslie Bar
- Gregory Jolivet CD
- Gutenbrunner Nachlese 2004-2008
- La Bateliere from Repertoire Virlaine
- Livraison JMPERU 2009
- Massif Central Tunebook – Pink cover
- Mike Smith’s Tunes from a Busker
- Open Session Passau
- Over the Water Session Book
- Sehlis Session Book
- Standard Tunebook (includes all the first tunes one would learn on hurdy-gurdy)
- Tapage Book
- Travak’s Tune Book
Online Music Sites
Bibliothèque Musicale: Jean-Michel Pérus’s website for Dance Tunes.
Dancilla: A wiki page about tons of traditional dances. Dance descriptions, sometimes with sheet music. Most tunes can be played on the HG (but not always transposed for).
Folkoteka Galega: Traditional Galician music in PDF, XML and MIDI format, and the coolest thing is that you can transpose pieces on the fly, so if you like that Muiñeira but need it in D – you got it.
IMSLP: The largest resource of public domain music available on the Internet, and yes, there are loads of scores and music for the Vielle.
North Atlantic Tune List: Traditional music from Scandinavia, the British Isles, Canada, Appalachia and more. A resource for traditional musicians with some wicked groovy tunes.
The Session: Loads of traditional tunes in PDF and ABC format.
Classical composers
Here are some composers that wrote for the hurdy-gurdy during the baroque and classical period, and where you can find their music:
- François Couperin (1668-1733) Les Fastes de la grande et ancienne Ménestrandise – Second Act ‘Bourdón / Les Viéleux et les grueux
- Jean-Jacques Naudot (1725) Huitième oeuvre de Mr Naudot. Six fêtes rustiques pour Musettes, Vielles, Flûtes, Hautbois, & Violons avec la Basse.
- Jean Hotteterre (1677-c1720)- La Noce Champêtre.
- Charles Buterne (1710-c1760) – Six Sonates pour la Vielle.
- Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1714) – Il Pastor Fido.
- Leopold Mozart (1719-1789) – Die Bauern Hochzeit, a work written for 6 strings, 2 oboes, bassoon, 2 horns, hurdy gurdy and bagpipes.
- Joseph Bodin Boismortier (1691-1755) – Divertissements de Campagne, Loisir du Bercail and Gentillesses. / Le Rebours
- Danguy – Many works for hurdy gurdy, one of the main popularizers of the instrument.
- Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) 8 notturni and 5 concertos for lira organizzata, a hurdy gurdy type that featured organ pipes, also pieces for King Ferdinand of Naples.
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) – Four minuets (K601) Four German Dances (K602) Country Dance (K611)
-From this article by Sergio González
Baroque Arrangements
- La Furstemberg arranged for 5 HGs and Harpsichord (PDF score) – For individual parts, email Noelle
Christmas Arrangments
- A la Nanita Nana (PDF score) – HG Duet or HG/Violin Duet (PDF Score) – For individual parts, email Noelle
Musician’s Tunes
If you have any supa groovy tunes you want added to this site so that others can play them, email Noelle and she will add them!