guitar to bouzouki

tin tin · Post by **tin tin** » Mon Jun 26, 2006 9:23 am

Has anyone made the switch from guitar to bouzouki? Is there much technique that carries over from one to the other? And do you find guitar or bouzouki (relatively) easier for learning ITM accompaniment?

SteveK · Post by **SteveK** » Mon Jun 26, 2006 1:25 pm

I sort of made the transition but I've never been much of a guitar player. Actually I went to a 10 string cittern before bouzouki. I tuned it GDAEA-the top four strings like an octave mandolin. The chords are not very hard. You use basic mandolin chords. But it shouldn't be a big problem to switch to (or add on) bouzouki. When I went to bouzouki I tuned it ADAD, mainly because that's and easy-to-play tuning. But now I've switched to GDAD and am finding it very confusing. I reccomend that if you think you want to play in GDAD, learn it right off the bat. I've got a notebook I've been filling with GDAD chords both for use with and without a capo.

PJA · Post by **PJA** » Mon Jun 26, 2006 2:25 pm

I made the transition about a year ago. I think GDAD is the most versatile; it has that DAD which gives that modal open chord.

I'd reccomend the listening of Planxty for starters.

Bouzouki in my opinion just sounds nicer than guitar in general and is easier.

To answer your question; not much technique transfers apart from the use of strumming and picking from the right hand. The stretch from the left hand was carried over from the start for me but I had to learn all the chords again. If you are playing chords mainly then once you learn the chord positions on the bouzouki you can transfer your previous knowledge of the guitar progressions onto the bouzouki. Although it may be best to use a more open sound rather than just playing straight chords. People tend to use the bouzouki more as an instrument for couterpoint and harmony along with melody rather than just plain progressions.

SteveK · Post by **SteveK** » Mon Jun 26, 2006 3:18 pm

It's true that GDAD is way more versatile than ADAD but some players do really good stuff with ADAD. Eoin O'Neill is terrific.

If you want to hear some improvised counterpoing played on the bouzouki really clearly see if you can find the tape Fiddler's Fancy. Well, forget that. It's available on CD at Elderly Instruments. I have an old tape of it. Anyway, Tommy Peoples plays 50 mainly Irish tunes accompanied by Manus Lunny on guitar and bouzouki. Mostly bouzouki. He does lots of countermelody, particularly on jigs. He also uses chords and has some progressions I can't seem to get my hands on.

Here's the Elderly address:

http://www.elderly.com/books/items/224-1341.htm

Ro3b · Post by **Ro3b** » Mon Jun 26, 2006 5:59 pm

I'll second that recommendation. Futzing around with that tape was what gave me my first inkling of how substitutions work in Irish music.

greenspiderweb · Post by **greenspiderweb** » Mon Jun 26, 2006 9:50 pm

I've been really enjoying the sound of the Bouzouki or Cittern in Irish music for a while, but haven't investigated the differences, and what is more popular and why. Anyone care to give a short course in the differences? It goes without saying, I really don't know which I've been listening to and when, but I imagine the sound is similar?

Thanks, Steve, for that link to Elderly. That sounds like an excellent way to hear a lot of music on the Bouzouki in a short time, and get some good fiddling to boot!

SteveK · Post by **SteveK** » Tue Jun 27, 2006 5:59 am

There are no hard and fast rules about how to distinguish a cittern from a bouzouki. And you've got to throw octave mandolins in the pot too. According to the way I use the term cittern, it is a 10-string instrument with a relatively short scale. My cittern had a 23 in scale. If it's 10 stringer with a long scale you call it whatever you like. I think Roger Landes called his long 10string a bouzouki but Joseph Sobol says cittern. If it's a long scale 8-stringer, it's a bouzouki. Long being about 24? to 26. If it's a shorter 8-stringer it's usually called an octave mandolin but Robin Bullock calls a cittern. So there you go. Confusing.

greenspiderweb · Post by **greenspiderweb** » Tue Jun 27, 2006 6:33 am

Thanks, Steve! I saw the other post where Fingers gives the link to the Acoustic Guitar site, which explains the Name Game, yes, confusing!:

Fingers wrote:Here's a good site to get you going. Lots of info and resources!

http://www.acousticguitar.com/issues/ag89/bouzouki.html

Happy zouki'ing

It has a lot of info on the history and development in Irish music, a very helpful introduction. I also saw Herni's post and link, which will keep me busy for a while too!:

herni wrote:a friend of mine plays the bouzouki and this is what he says:the tuning is usually G - D - A - D or A - D - A - D,
as for the melody/chord question, you have to decide what's appropriate for the song... also, here is a website he considers good

http://home.hccnet.nl/h.speek/bouzouki/

good luck!

Thanks guys!