The chien is the small tan piece under the leftmost string. It is only held in place by the pressure of the string.

The hurdy-gurdy is unique in that a player can provide their own rhythmic accompaniment by adjusting their cranking strength to make the chien ("dog"-- another name for the buzzing bridge) sound. The chien is not attached to the body of the instrument; the buzzing is created when the bridge rapidly lifts away and returns to its position many times a second.