Slippery Greek zoukies - a crude but workable "solution"

[dhavlena]

A very elegant (not) way to keep a Greek Bouzouki from sliding while playing.

I've a few zoukis - Irish flatbacks & this Greek jobbie, which I'm starting to like more and more for playing Celtic stuff on - something about the thinner strings.... Anyhow - for the life of me, I cannot understand how a culture could come up with an instrument as abominably difficult to hold while playing !? My beer-belly against the infernal convex bottom of the thing just ain't rght.
At this point, it's either figuring out how to keep the thing from jiggling all over the place or screwing it to the wall as a pretty decoration.
Tradition be damned - I've solved it, at least for me - by the use of pieces of 80 grit sandpaper stuck onto bowl with the strongest double-sided tape I could find, really does work!
If you ever saw my webpage ( http://DennisHavlena.com ) you could see that in my half-century of diddling with musical instruments, I've always preferred function-over-form.
If you play with the thing on your right thigh, position a 4" diameter piece of the sandpaper where the bowl meets your right thigh & another 4" piece where the bowl touches your lower rib area.
I play with the bowl nestled between my two thighs - not the proper way I'm told - so I put a 3" wide rectangular strip where the Bouzouki touches my left thigh; a 4" x 4" square near the tailpiece where the bowl touches my right thigh & a 4" disk of sandpaper where the bowl touches my belly area.
As crude as this might (does) sound, it solved my problem.
Yep. Dennis Havlena - Straits of Mackinac northern Michigan where an extended late-season snowstorm is putting pretty much a halt to any ideas of traveling.

[derbex]

I use a piece of non-slip shelf liner for my bowlbacks. I don't stick it on just lay them on it. The piece I am currently using is 1' by 2'.

[Beanzy]

Many players hold it very high with the arm across low down, if you’re sitting you can ruck up a wrinkle in your right trouser leg and have the edge sit behind that.

Otherwise if you’re more into it you could tuck it behind a few pleats.....

[DavidKOS]

for the life of me, I cannot understand how a culture could come up with an instrument as abominably difficult to hold while playing !?
......
I play with the bowl nestled between my two thighs - not the proper way I'm told -

And that's why you are having trouble and wonder why the Greeks came up with and "abominably difficult to hold" instrument.

You need to hold it the way a Greek does.





So the bowl is held like a bowlback mandolin, with a 4 point contact of the right thigh, right side of body, right forearm over the tailpiece, and the left hand giving slight backward pressure.

I've been playing Greek style bouzouki since the 1970's, and none of the Greeks nor myself ever had trouble sitting with a bouzouki when held in this manner.

Standing we use a strap.



Anyway, try holding it like a Greek and you'll be OK.

[zoukboy]

and that's why you are having trouble and wonder why the greeks came up with and "abominably difficult to hold" instrument.

You need to hold it the way a greek does.





so the bowl is held like a bowlback mandolin, with a 4 point contact of the right thigh, right side of body, right forearm over the tailpiece, and the left hand giving slight backward pressure.

I've been playing greek style bouzouki since the 1970's, and none of the greeks nor myself ever had trouble sitting with a bouzouki when held in this manner.

Standing we use a strap.



anyway, try holding it like a greek and you'll be ok.

opa!

[Reinhardt]

I use super glue and stick mine to my trousers!! Only problem is that I have to wear the same trousers to each session!! Only joking. I've used velcro in the past. a piece stuck on with double sided tape on the bouzouki and another strip attached to my belt. It's not great but it does work. I'm definitely going to try out the sandpaper trick though. Thanks for the tip.

John

[Dacraw54]

A square of sandpaper on the bowl and wear an Aran Geansai - it'll stay in any position.

[Colin Lindsay]

A square of sandpaper on the bowl and wear an Aran Geansai - it'll stay in any position.

No it bl***y won't!! (Photo taken around 1982) It slipped all over the place! This I think was me supporting Andy Irvine, who told me to put heavier strings on the zouk. Must have been to hold it down.
Modern solution is a rectangle of that non-slip rubber roll that you find in hardware shops. Just set it on your leg and the zouk stays put.