Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 25 of 33

Thread: tuning of the Greek bouzouki?

  1. #1
    Registered User Nick Royal's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2002
    Location
    Santa Cruz, CA
    Posts
    446

    Default tuning of the Greek bouzouki?

    This past Sunday night I heard a fine Greek trio with one man playing the
    bouzouki. It looked like it had 8 strings in 4 pairs.

    What is the tuning of that instrument?

  2. #2
    Registered User zoukboy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Location
    Lubbock, TX
    Posts
    1,251

    Default Re: tuning of the Greek bouzouki?

    Standard tuning of the tetrachordo is C3/C4 F3/F4 A3/A3 D4/D4

  3. #3
    Registered User DavidKOS's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2014
    Location
    North CA
    Posts
    5,013

    Default Re: tuning of the Greek bouzouki?

    Quote Originally Posted by zoukboy View Post
    Standard tuning of the tetrachordo is C3/C4 F3/F4 A3/A3 D4/D4
    Yes, like the top strings of a guitar tuned down a step.

    The trikordo is tuned DAD, by the way, and is why the tuning is CFAD, to keep the top strings the same on both bouzoukis.

    The 3-string is making a big comeback.

  4. #4
    Registered User mikeyes's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    Fond du Lac, WI
    Posts
    954

    Default Re: tuning of the Greek bouzouki?

    I may be the only owner of a Martin LXM tres which is three two course strings on a guitar body the size of a tenor guitar and a 23" scale. Since I don't play Cuban music, I am thinking of tuning it DAD. For those of you who play the tres (I'm looking at you Roger) are the strings in unison, doubled octave, mixed or whatever you want? Are there usable alternative tunings? String guages? I'm interested in this DAD "big comeback" even if it is in Greek music (although it should go well with ITM) as my son is married into a Greek family.

    Sorry if I am hijacking the thread.

    Mike Keyes

  5. #5
    Registered User DavidKOS's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2014
    Location
    North CA
    Posts
    5,013

    Default Re: tuning of the Greek bouzouki?

    Funny, I play Greek Bouzouki and Cuban Tres!

    The Tres has had several popular tunings over its history but for a while now (over half a century or more) the tuning has been:

    Gg CC Ee, with BOTH the 3rd and 1st courses in octaves, this tuning making it easy to play the characteristic montuno figures that are the basis of many Afro-Caribbean music styles.

    It's not really used to strum chords - you do play chords, but it's much more of a linear instruments, playing rhythmic melodies that set up chord changes.

    I checked out that link, and Gonzales is a great tresero. Looks like a nice instrument.

    As for the 3-string bouzouki making a comeback, well since the 50's the 8 string usually electric bouzouki has been the staple of the Greek restaurant and nightclub world, the bouzouki heard in "Zorba", etc.

    But in the last 10-20 years the older 3 string version, along with the no-longer-underground Rebetika music, has had a big revival in popularity and may people are making and playing the 3 string instrument again.

  6. #6
    Registered User mikeyes's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    Fond du Lac, WI
    Posts
    954

    Default Re: tuning of the Greek bouzouki?

    I did a little research and I think that I can tune the LMX DD AA dd using existing octave mandolin strings from D'Addario or Pearse (with and extra E string unless I go with DD AA dd.) I'll give it a try this weekend and see what happens after I do the math with a string calculator.

    Next stop, talk to the in-laws who dance the dance <G>

    Mike Keyes

  7. #7
    Registered User
    Join Date
    May 2005
    Location
    Downstate Illinois
    Posts
    211

    Default Re: tuning of the Greek bouzouki?

    Just got a zouk (GDAD) and I've been listening to a lot of mountain dulcimer (DAD). I think that would be a good approach to bring the bouzouki into old-time American music --- think dulcimer.

  8. #8
    Registered User Hany Hayek's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Location
    Egypt
    Posts
    622

    Default Re: tuning of the Greek bouzouki?

    I think it should be Dd -aa - dd for the 3 course.
    I have a chance to buy a half bouzouki (μισομπούζουκο). Very old, not in a very good shape but can be restored.
    It has the body of a mandolin with a very long fret board
    Very strange frets spacing towards the end of the finger board
    Is this tuned like the 3 course bouzouki? What's the scale length ? What are the strings gauges? Where can I find a book for beginners on line?
    “Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent.”
    ― Victor Hugo

  9. #9
    Registered User DavidKOS's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2014
    Location
    North CA
    Posts
    5,013

    Default Re: tuning of the Greek bouzouki?

    Quote Originally Posted by JPL View Post
    Just got a zouk (GDAD) and I've been listening to a lot of mountain dulcimer (DAD). I think that would be a good approach to bring the bouzouki into old-time American music --- think dulcimer.
    Probably so - this is not a Greek bouzouki, though, right?

    Quote Originally Posted by Hany Hayek View Post
    I think it should be Dd -aa - dd for the 3 course.
    I have a chance to buy a half bouzouki (μισομπούζουκο). Very old, not in a very good shape but can be restored.
    It has the body of a mandolin with a very long fret board
    Very strange frets spacing towards the end of the finger board
    Is this tuned like the 3 course bouzouki? What's the scale length ? What are the strings gauges? Where can I find a book for beginners on line?
    Can you post a picture? There are a number of related bouzouki and bouzouki-mandolin like string instruments from the part of the world. The fretting thing makes me wonder which one it is.

    I can't say I've heard "μισομπούζουκο" before - there's the baglama, tzouras, tamboura, etc.

    http://www.rebetiko.org/

    a link about the 3 course bouzouki

    With my tetrachordo

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	davidbouzoukiwfriends1.jpg 
Views:	333 
Size:	51.9 KB 
ID:	124764

  10. The following members say thank you to DavidKOS for this post:


  11. #10
    Registered User DavidKOS's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2014
    Location
    North CA
    Posts
    5,013

    Default Re: tuning of the Greek bouzouki?

    some μισομπούζουκο music- it seems to be more popular than I thought....looks like a type of tzouras to me

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXGfEdQbrog

    http://www.music-instruments.gr/de/s...20090905232333

    http://www.music-instruments.gr/de/s...20141010162138

    Seems the half-bouzouki is almost like the tzouras


    http://andrdellius.blogspot.com/

    Made from an old mandolin shell

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltjnutb7ncM

    Sounds like a tzouras to me

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QH7UrHoJysY

  12. The following members say thank you to DavidKOS for this post:


  13. #11
    Registered User Hany Hayek's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Location
    Egypt
    Posts
    622

    Default Re: tuning of the Greek bouzouki?

    The youtube video with Παρτιδες (μισομπουζουκο) is great.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltjnutb7ncM
    I wish I could find the score sheet for that. It might work well on the mandolin.
    I'll go take some pics tomorrow. It's at an auction house. I'm trying to convince the person responsible to sell it to me before that auction
    I bought a tenor banjo 19 frets from the same place a while back. Cost me 75 USD
    But I am afraid I can't play anything that is not tuned in fifth. I had a wonderful failure with the guitar. Maybe I did not have enough learning material then (mid 90's).
    By the way David I am half Greek from my mother side. I assumed you had something Greek, sorry to have been posting some words in Greek. It was to help you search in Google.
    “Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent.”
    ― Victor Hugo

  14. #12
    Registered User zoukboy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Location
    Lubbock, TX
    Posts
    1,251

    Default Re: tuning of the Greek bouzouki?

    Quote Originally Posted by JPL View Post
    Just got a zouk (GDAD) and I've been listening to a lot of mountain dulcimer (DAD). I think that would be a good approach to bring the bouzouki into old-time American music --- think dulcimer.
    Yep. Check out my buddy Chipper Thompson's music for that approach.

  15. #13
    Registered User zoukboy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Location
    Lubbock, TX
    Posts
    1,251

    Default Re: tuning of the Greek bouzouki?

    Quote Originally Posted by Hany Hayek View Post
    I think it should be Dd -aa - dd for the 3 course.
    From bass to treble: D3/D4 A3/A3 D4/D4

  16. #14
    Registered User zoukboy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Location
    Lubbock, TX
    Posts
    1,251

    Default Re: tuning of the Greek bouzouki?

    Quote Originally Posted by mikeyes View Post
    Since I don't play Cuban music, I am thinking of tuning it DAD. For those of you who play the tres (I'm looking at you Roger) are the strings in unison, doubled octave, mixed or whatever you want? Are there usable alternative tunings? String guages?
    Mike Keyes
    Didn't see this until now, Mike. The tres tuning I use(d) is reentrant: G3/G4 C4/C4 E3/E4 but that is complicated by the fact that the E and G courses are octave pairs.

    Hope that helps!

  17. #15
    Registered User
    Join Date
    May 2005
    Location
    Downstate Illinois
    Posts
    211

    Default Re: tuning of the Greek bouzouki?

    I need to dip into his solo work --- "Janissary Stomp" is in heavy rotation for me.

    There's some parallel timeline where a bunch of Greek immigrant settled Appalachia and every old-time string band had a bouzouki player. The Irish group I play with does some old-time (American) fiddle tunes, and I'm convinced that you could figure out something on that zouk that would be a very good alternative to a guitar --- a little lighter, more droney.

  18. #16
    Registered User zoukboy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Location
    Lubbock, TX
    Posts
    1,251

    Default Re: tuning of the Greek bouzouki?

    Quote Originally Posted by JPL View Post
    I need to dip into his solo work --- "Janissary Stomp" is in heavy rotation for me.

    There's some parallel timeline where a bunch of Greek immigrant settled Appalachia and every old-time string band had a bouzouki player. The Irish group I play with does some old-time (American) fiddle tunes, and I'm convinced that you could figure out something on that zouk that would be a very good alternative to a guitar --- a little lighter, more droney.
    The first track of "Janissary Stomp" has some faux clawhammer bouzouki. ;-)

  19. #17
    Registered User DavidKOS's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2014
    Location
    North CA
    Posts
    5,013

    Default Re: tuning of the Greek bouzouki?

    Quote Originally Posted by Hany Hayek View Post
    By the way David I am half Greek from my mother side. I assumed you had something Greek, sorry to have been posting some words in Greek. It was to help you search in Google.
    My mom's family is all Sicilian - when I played music with Greeks, they said "used to be Greek".

    I use the Google translate mode.

    Quote Originally Posted by zoukboy View Post
    Didn't see this until now, Mike. The tres tuning I use(d) is reentrant: G3/G4 C4/C4 E3/E4 but that is complicated by the fact that the E and G courses are octave pairs.
    Yup, same as the one I mentioned.

  20. #18
    Registered User
    Join Date
    May 2005
    Location
    Downstate Illinois
    Posts
    211

    Default Re: tuning of the Greek bouzouki?

    Quote Originally Posted by zoukboy View Post
    The first track of "Janissary Stomp" has some faux clawhammer bouzouki. ;-)
    I've been doing some kind of frailing thing to back up the fiddle tunes . . . nice thing about an obscure instrument is that no one is sure if I'm playing it wrong.

  21. #19
    Registered User Mike Anderson's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Location
    London, Ontario
    Posts
    560

    Default Re: tuning of the Greek bouzouki?

    Is this your website? Hilarious - and inspiring! I love uncompromising people.

    Quote Originally Posted by DavidKOS View Post
    Probably so - this is not a Greek bouzouki, though, right?


    http://www.rebetiko.org/

    a link about the 3 course bouzouki

    With my tetrachordo

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	davidbouzoukiwfriends1.jpg 
Views:	333 
Size:	51.9 KB 
ID:	124764
    "But wasn't it all stupid nonsense, rot, gibberish, and criminally fraudulent nincompoopery?"
    - Neal Stephenson, Quicksilver

  22. #20
    Registered User DavidKOS's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2014
    Location
    North CA
    Posts
    5,013

    Default Re: tuning of the Greek bouzouki?

    No, it's not my website - first off I play 4 course bouzouki!

    But it is a very good site.

  23. #21
    Registered User zookster's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    North Carolina
    Posts
    148

    Default Re: tuning of the Greek bouzouki?

    It's a little known fact that some Greeks settled near Asheville NC in the late 1700s, and that the bouzouki had a large influence on the early old time music that evolved there.
    Many common fiddle tune titles have been changed from the original Greek, including "Jack of Diamonds" and "Little Birdie." The natives found the Macedonian words too hard to pronounce.

    Unfortunately no pictures exist of any of the early musicians, and those early instruments are locked in a vault in the Greek Orthodox Church in downtown Asheville. The church disallowed its members from playing American music in the early 1800s, instead requiring Greeks to open up a number of fine restaurants throughout the region.

    A movement has started to reinstate the bouzouki to it's rightful place in old time music with such retro bands as 'The Athenian Daredevils', "Swannanoa Odyssey", and the now legendary "Ziti Heads", 'who use the very rare bouzouki 'knocking' style of playing that has been traced to interaction with the Cherokee.

  24. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to zookster For This Useful Post:


  25. #22
    Registered User Hany Hayek's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Location
    Egypt
    Posts
    622

    Default Re: tuning of the Greek bouzouki?

    Here is the instrument I mentioned. Is this a Tzoura. Can you explain the bizarre frets up the fret board.

    By the way David my Grandma from my mother's side is Italian from Trani. I speak Italian as my mother tongue and very little Greek

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	P2100283.jpg 
Views:	495 
Size:	273.9 KB 
ID:	124905Click image for larger version. 

Name:	P2100284.jpg 
Views:	591 
Size:	163.0 KB 
ID:	124906Click image for larger version. 

Name:	P2100285.jpg 
Views:	370 
Size:	137.9 KB 
ID:	124907Click image for larger version. 

Name:	P2100287.jpg 
Views:	411 
Size:	234.1 KB 
ID:	124908
    “Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent.”
    ― Victor Hugo

  26. #23
    Registered User Hany Hayek's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Location
    Egypt
    Posts
    622

    Default Re: tuning of the Greek bouzouki?

    One more pic of the fret board from the side, it will give you an idea of how the frets are placed
    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	P2100289.jpg 
Views:	406 
Size:	129.7 KB 
ID:	124909
    “Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent.”
    ― Victor Hugo

  27. #24
    Registered User DavidKOS's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2014
    Location
    North CA
    Posts
    5,013

    Default Re: tuning of the Greek bouzouki?

    That's very interesting. How old is that tzouras?

    I've seen some older instruments that were not in the common 12-tone equal temperament fretting but had fretting that would accomodate some of the older Anatolian "1/4 tone" musical modes. The overall spacing looks very similar to Turkish saz fretting.
    Also if that instrument is from before the Greco-Turkish War of 1919–192, it may have been made in Greek Anatolia.

    I can't really be sure but that looks like one. Some of the older Greek tambouras had similar fretting.

    I'd love to try that one out! Cool instrument.

  28. The following members say thank you to DavidKOS for this post:


  29. #25
    Registered User Colin Lindsay's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2014
    Location
    Tandragee, Northern Ireland
    Posts
    416

    Default Re: tuning of the Greek bouzouki?

    Quote Originally Posted by zookster View Post
    "Little Birdie."
    When playing in Greece I and the local musicians play a tune they taught me called “All the Birds”… is this the same tune?
    "Danger! Do Not Touch!" must be one of the scariest things to read in Braille....

Bookmarks

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •