Just a short note on the Irish bouzouki origins. Peter Abnett made the first bouzouki for Donal Lunny, this instrument had a fairly small body, Donal still plays relatiively small bodies zooks these days. and that Abnett has a shallow dished backed. Andy Irvine's flat backed bouzoukis were made by Sobell and Fylde in the UK, those zooks had bigger bodies. For many years Joe Foley from Dublin made what became the classic style of the now mass produced flat back bouzoukis. Joe is still making high quality hand made instruments.
A very helpful introduction. Thank you. I’ve heard that it’s sometimes done to tune the low G strings an octave apart. Do you have an opinion on this practice? A special bridge is necessary I would think.
Thanks Doug! The octave pairs on low strings are definitely used, particularly on Citterns (5 course instruments), and it ends up similar to a 12 string guitar, with probably the same construction requirements in the bridge. I think having the unison pairs gives a 'bigger' sound in the low end, which is probably what you want if you're playing mainly chords, but there are perks to octaves as well. I think it can be hard to get the intonation really perfect with octave pairs, and I don't think my luthier was a fan of them for that reason. Short answer is probably to try both (or listen to both, if not actually playing both) and see what sound you prefer. I think most entry level irish bouzoukis / octave mandolins ship with octave pairs, but in the Irish/Scottish scene almost everyone plays on unison strings.
Octave tuning requires a compensated bridge, because zooks have long necks the intonation between octave strings is never in without a compensated bridge.
Non-exhaustive list of instruments similar to the Irish bouzouki that have been floating around in West European music for several hundred years before the Irish bouzouki re-evolved: Renaissance Cittern, Gittern, English Guitar, Portuguese Guitar, Mandalone, Mandolin/Mandola/Mandocello, Waldzither, Halszither, Laúd, Cetara, plus the lute and all its related (bowl-back) forms.
Eamonn the same can be said of the Uilleann Pipes. I have seen old photos of Russian folk musicians playing Uilleann Pipes in St. Endas in Rathfarnham. Dated in the early 1900's.
Yeah unfortunately I don't have very much choice of ideal recording location. This is the quietest room but also the darkest, I actually dragged a huge lamp in to try to improve the lighting! I've got recordings of both of these tunes elsewhere on my channel (though the sound quality is much worse) where you can see the left hand a bit closer up (linked below). There is also tab for Si Beag Si Mhor on my facebook page (linked in the video): Byggnan - ruclips.net/video/J1qci1ugyWU/видео.html Si Beag Si Mhor - ruclips.net/video/oX8pOKL1ig0/видео.html
Oddly enough Alec Finn who was one of the main drivers of the instrument in Ireland played the Greek style bouzouki. Joe Foleys flat backs have more volume than the teardrop shape which is strange in itself.
It's possible, but it wouldn't suit the tune as well since it's in D major and I'm using the open D string a lot. You can probably find Mandolin sheet music for it in GDAE though.
If you're a total beginner to all instruments (as opposed to a mandolin/violin player beginning on bouzouki) I'd recommend using GDAD tuning, it will be easier to start with and if you're playing chords (or melody and chord together like I'm doing here) it's a much more straightforward tuning.
There are two types of greek bouzouki - the trichordo (3 course) which you describe is I think the more traditional, the tetrachordo (in the picture) is used more in modern Greek music.
Just a short note on the Irish bouzouki origins. Peter Abnett made the first bouzouki for Donal Lunny, this instrument had a fairly small body, Donal still plays relatiively small bodies zooks these days. and that Abnett has a shallow dished backed. Andy Irvine's flat backed bouzoukis were made by Sobell and Fylde in the UK, those zooks had bigger bodies. For many years Joe Foley from Dublin made what became the classic style of the now mass produced flat back bouzoukis. Joe is still making high quality hand made instruments.
Thanks for the extra info Sean!
Sir, your knowledge and skill in playing are outstanding! Thank you for sharing your talent and interests with the rest of us!
Thanks Jeff! I sometimes feel like I'm rambling when I start talking about bouzouki history 😅 so I'm glad you found it interesting!
A very helpful introduction. Thank you. I’ve heard that it’s sometimes done to tune the low G strings an octave apart. Do you have an opinion on this practice? A special bridge is necessary I would think.
Thanks Doug! The octave pairs on low strings are definitely used, particularly on Citterns (5 course instruments), and it ends up similar to a 12 string guitar, with probably the same construction requirements in the bridge. I think having the unison pairs gives a 'bigger' sound in the low end, which is probably what you want if you're playing mainly chords, but there are perks to octaves as well. I think it can be hard to get the intonation really perfect with octave pairs, and I don't think my luthier was a fan of them for that reason.
Short answer is probably to try both (or listen to both, if not actually playing both) and see what sound you prefer. I think most entry level irish bouzoukis / octave mandolins ship with octave pairs, but in the Irish/Scottish scene almost everyone plays on unison strings.
Octave tuning requires a compensated bridge, because zooks have long necks the intonation between octave strings is never in without a compensated bridge.
Non-exhaustive list of instruments similar to the Irish bouzouki that have been floating around in West European music for several hundred years before the Irish bouzouki re-evolved:
Renaissance Cittern, Gittern, English Guitar, Portuguese Guitar, Mandalone, Mandolin/Mandola/Mandocello, Waldzither, Halszither, Laúd, Cetara, plus the lute and all its related (bowl-back) forms.
Eamonn the same can be said of the Uilleann Pipes. I have seen old photos of Russian folk musicians playing Uilleann Pipes in St. Endas in Rathfarnham. Dated in the early 1900's.
Great! Thank you
You're welcome!
Nice tunes! As a beginner I would love to see closer view of the left hand. You're sitting in the dark!! Please though more tunes 👍
Yeah unfortunately I don't have very much choice of ideal recording location. This is the quietest room but also the darkest, I actually dragged a huge lamp in to try to improve the lighting!
I've got recordings of both of these tunes elsewhere on my channel (though the sound quality is much worse) where you can see the left hand a bit closer up (linked below). There is also tab for Si Beag Si Mhor on my facebook page (linked in the video):
Byggnan - ruclips.net/video/J1qci1ugyWU/видео.html
Si Beag Si Mhor - ruclips.net/video/oX8pOKL1ig0/видео.html
Great warm sound from the bouzouki , love the madolin too. Well played
Thanks James!
Oddly enough Alec Finn who was one of the main drivers of the instrument in Ireland played the Greek style bouzouki. Joe Foleys flat backs have more volume than the teardrop shape which is strange in itself.
Who made this instrument. Brand?
It's made by Daniel Hoban, there's a link to his website in the description.
hello what are you tuned gdae? thank you very much
Hi Leoš, I tune GDAD. I talk about some of the different tunings around the second quarter of the video.
@@EamonCoughlan hi the first song you play is gorgeous,wouldit be possible to tune gdae?😊
I am a complete beginner
It's possible, but it wouldn't suit the tune as well since it's in D major and I'm using the open D string a lot. You can probably find Mandolin sheet music for it in GDAE though.
If you're a total beginner to all instruments (as opposed to a mandolin/violin player beginning on bouzouki) I'd recommend using GDAD tuning, it will be easier to start with and if you're playing chords (or melody and chord together like I'm doing here) it's a much more straightforward tuning.
The picture of the Greek Bouzouki is not a Greek Bouzouki it has sets if four rather than three strings. It is in the Irish style.
There are two types of greek bouzouki - the trichordo (3 course) which you describe is I think the more traditional, the tetrachordo (in the picture) is used more in modern Greek music.