leeneia ~ I assume you got the idea for the $20 hurdy gurdy from the web page of Dennis Havlena

http://www.ehhs.cmich.edu/~dhavlena/hurdy.htm

I have played this instrument (the only hurdy gurdy that I've ever played) and it worked very well and had a great sound. Look at the following picture:

http://www.ehhs.cmich.edu/~dhavlena/hg7__640.jpg

You do not push down on the broad flat portion of the keys. You actually push on the narrow portion of the key (toward the outside of the instrument) so that the key moves parallel to the top of the instrument. I believe that Dennis added a neck to this instrument so that when the key makes contact with the string it pushes the string against the neck in much the same way that your finger presses the string against the neck on a fiddle. (the neck can be seen on the above picture and is simply a small square piece of wood that is about a foot long.) If you carefully study the photo I think you will be able to see how it work.

Cap't Bob