Hurdy-Gurdy

The Hurdy-Gurdy is an Instrument that Players can use to play Shanties with in Sea of Thieves.

Usage
Every Player Pirate acquires a Hurdy-Gurdy during their Maiden Voyage, which they can use at any time during their adventures on The Sea of Thieves. The Hurdy-Gurdy can be accessed from the Equipment Radial Menu. The Cosmetic design of the Player's Hurdy-Gurdy can be switched at Equipment Chests. These designs can be purchased from Equipment Shops and only change the visual appearance of the Instrument.

Hurdy-Gurdies have one Interaction, which is to play Music! Players can take out any Instrument to start playing a Sea Shanty. The Shanty will play as long as the Player holds down the button. If a player lets go of the button and holds it down again, another Shanty will play from the start. Other Player Pirates can join in on the Shanty with instruments of their own. The first Pirate to start playing a Shanty will be the lead Instrument, playing the melody of the song. Other Pirates will then play backing to the lead instrument. When the Lead Instrument player lets go of the button, they will give the lead Instrument to another Player, who will then play the melody instead. Once the previous lead player starts playing again, they will then play backing instead.

Players will start to play out of tune if they are drunk with Grog. Instruments also sound muffled if Players are using them below water.

Players can acquire the Shanty of Legends from the Mysterious Stranger once they achieve the status of Pirate Legend. With the shanty, they can use their Instruments to play the tune in front of the stairs of any Tavern to gain access to the Athena's Fortune Hideout.

Variants
All new players are equipped with a basic Sailor Hurdy-Gurdy by default. Other versions are available for purchase from the Equipment Shop.

Trivia

 * The Hurdy-Gurdy likely originated from European and Middle Eastern fiddles, and was designed to be played on the lap.
 * The Hurdy-Gurdy is hand-cranked, using a rosined wheel to replace the typical bow found in fiddles and violins.
 * While the Hurdy-Gurdy is considered a stringed instrument, it shares many features with other drone instruments such as the Didgeridoo and the Bagpipes. The instrument relies on a solid droning note in the backdrop, while keys pressed on other parts of the neck play additional notes.