Drone Capos (pronounced 'kay-poe') on a Hurdy Gurdy are mechanisms that attach to the drone strings. Much like a capo on a guitar, these change the 'key' of the instrument. 

They attach to each drone string individually, and with the 'flip of the lever' they instantly raise the pitch of the string by a whole step. For example- a drone string tuned to 'c' can be changed to 'd'.

Our 'Aquitaine' model with a drone capo on the trompette string.

Why would you need these?  
After all, the keychest is chromatic- so no trouble there.  When you change musical keys on a Hurdy gurdies, the player will selectively engage / disengage various drone strings to keep up with the song (don't worry, our lesson book covers this).  If you want to play in a key that your drones don't quite work with, you usually have to start retuning .

Drone capos are a better alternative to this, they give you more flexibility without having to retune. You literally change the key of the instrument with the 'flip of a switch'. 
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We realize this is sort of an advanced topic.  If you're a beginner and wondering if this option is right for you, contact and we'll offer as much information as you like to help decide what's best for your needs.

​How many do I need?
Generally speaking we can add one capo per each drone string. An instrument with four drones (like our 'Moncur' model) can have up to four capos added.  
​If you are considering adding capos, but are on a limited budget, adding even one capo will expand the instrument.

​Drone capos can be installed for just $45.00 each.

Here's a better view of the capo mechanism.

NOW AVAILABLE FOR OUR SYMPHONIE MODEL!
​After much experimentation, we have come up with a design that integrates well with our Symphonie model (the 'Madeline') '. 
These are quite easy to use- just flip the tab and the drone string raises pitch by a whole step. The simpler 'flip tab' capos are included as a standard item on this model.