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The Hurdy-Gurdy: A Violin Played with a Crank

6th grade nonfiction passage about hurdy-gurdy instrument: 214 words, six questions, an answer key and vocabulary.

6th grade nonfiction hurdy-gurdy instrument 214 words

The Hurdy-Gurdy: A Violin Played with a Crank

Most stringed instruments need a bow or a pluck to make a sound. The hurdy-gurdy does it with a crank. This old instrument has been played in Europe for many centuries, and some musicians still play it at folk festivals today.

Inside the wooden body is a wheel, rubbed with a sticky substance called rosin. When the player turns the crank with the right hand, the wheel spins and rubs against the strings. It works a little like a bow that never runs out of room to move. The sound can go on and on without a break, which is hard to do with a bow.

The left hand plays a row of wooden keys. Each key pushes a small wedge against a melody string, which makes that string shorter and raises its note, just as a finger does on a violin. Other strings, called drone strings, are not pressed by any key. They sing one steady note underneath the tune, a bit like the constant hum of a bagpipe.

Some players give the crank a quick jerk to make a buzzing beat. This adds a rhythm that gets feet tapping. With a melody, a drone, and a beat all coming from one instrument, a single player can sound like a small band.

Questions

  1. What does a hurdy-gurdy player turn to make sound? in the text

  2. What is rubbed on the wheel? in the text

  3. What do the keys do when the left hand plays them? in the text

  4. What are drone strings? in the text

  5. Why can the hurdy-gurdy sound go on without a break? think about it

  6. Why might one hurdy-gurdy player sound like a small band? think about it

Words to know

crank
a handle that you turn around to make something move
rosin
a sticky substance rubbed on strings or bows to help them grip
melody
the main tune of a piece of music
drone
a steady note that keeps sounding under a tune
folk
music passed down among ordinary people of a place
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One passage, three levels

The same topic and facts written three ways, so a mixed class can read and talk about one text. Each group’s sheet shows only a shape; the key says which is which.

● Easier · 159 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 1.5

Most string instruments need a bow or a pluck. The hurdy-gurdy uses a crank. People in Europe have played it for many centuries. Some still play it at folk festivals.

Inside the wooden body is a wheel. The wheel is rubbed with sticky rosin. The player turns the crank with the right hand. The wheel spins and rubs the strings. It is like a bow that never has to stop. The sound can go on and on.

The left hand plays wooden keys. Each key pushes a small wedge on a melody string. That makes the string shorter, so the note goes up. Other strings are called drone strings. No key presses them. They sing one steady note under the tune. It is like the hum of a bagpipe.

Some players jerk the crank fast. This makes a buzzing beat. One instrument gives a tune, a drone, and a beat. One player can sound like a small band.

▲ This passage · 214 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 4.9

Most stringed instruments need a bow or a pluck to make a sound. The hurdy-gurdy does it with a crank. This old instrument has been played in Europe for many centuries, and some musicians still play it at folk festivals today.

Inside the wooden body is a wheel, rubbed with a sticky substance called rosin. When the player turns the crank with the right hand, the wheel spins and rubs against the strings. It works a little like a bow that never runs out of room to move. The sound can go on and on without a break, which is hard to do with a bow.

The left hand plays a row of wooden keys. Each key pushes a small wedge against a melody string, which makes that string shorter and raises its note, just as a finger does on a violin. Other strings, called drone strings, are not pressed by any key. They sing one steady note underneath the tune, a bit like the constant hum of a bagpipe.

Some players give the crank a quick jerk to make a buzzing beat. This adds a rhythm that gets feet tapping. With a melody, a drone, and a beat all coming from one instrument, a single player can sound like a small band.

■ Harder · 227 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 7.8

Most stringed instruments depend on a bow or a pluck to produce a sound, but the hurdy-gurdy relies on a crank instead. This remarkable instrument has been played in Europe for many centuries, and a number of musicians continue to perform on it at folk festivals today.

Concealed inside the wooden body is a wheel that has been coated with a sticky substance called rosin. When the player turns the crank with the right hand, the wheel spins and rubs steadily against the strings. It behaves rather like a bow that never runs out of room to travel. As a result, the sound can continue without interruption, which is difficult to achieve with an ordinary bow.

Meanwhile, the left hand plays a row of wooden keys. Each key pushes a small wedge against a melody string, which shortens that string and raises its note, exactly as a finger does on a violin. Other strings, known as drone strings, are not pressed by any key. They sing one steady note beneath the tune, somewhat like the constant hum of a bagpipe.

Some players also give the crank a quick jerk to create a buzzing beat. This adds a rhythm that sets listeners tapping their feet. Because a melody, a drone, and a beat all arise from a single instrument, one performer can sound like a small band.

Download as one PDF

How to use it

  1. Press Read it big (or B) to put the text on the projector, or Full screen (F) to fill the whole screen.
  2. Ask the questions one at a time and use Show answer when the class has decided. A shows or hides every answer.
  3. Print student copy for the class, or Print with answers for yourself.

Ideas for class

  • Before reading, put crank, rosin, melody, drone and folk on the board with their meanings from the Words to know section and have students predict what the text will be about.
  • Read it aloud once while students follow along, then have them reread it alone or with a partner. At a calm 100 words a minute it takes about 2 minutes to read aloud.
  • Use the Read it big button (or B) to put the text on the projector, and Show answer on one question at a time so the class commits to an answer first.
  • Question 5 asks the reader to infer. Ask students to point to the words in the passage that led them to their answer.
  • Ask students to write one question the passage did not answer, then look for the answer in a book or on a classroom screen.
  • Print the student copy for independent work and keep the answer-key copy for yourself.

Related

Questions

What reading level is "The Hurdy-Gurdy: A Violin Played with a Crank"?

It was written for 6th grade. It has 214 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 4.9. That is a formula's estimate from sentence length and syllables, and it is not a Lexile or a guided reading level, so check it against your students.

What do the questions ask?

There are six. 4 ask for something the text says directly and 2 ask the reader to work something out from clues. Each has an answer in the key, and the answers are written as a teacher would accept them, not as the only possible wording.

How long does it take to read?

About 2 minutes read aloud at 100 words a minute. For a one-minute fluency check, paste it into the fluency timer and use the word count.

Can I print it?

Yes. Print student copy gives the passage, the questions with lines to write on, and the word meanings. Print with answers gives the same page with the answers filled in. Both are made in your browser.

Is this passage from a published book?

No. It was written for Peabody Teach, so there is no book to buy and no login to read it.

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