Bouzouki Lessons

dublinario

Hi, just wondering if anybody knows of any good bouzouki tutors banging about? I bought a bouzouki a year or so ago and have done little with it. I've played guitar for donkey's years, so I was able to (lazily) get to a certain strummy level on the bouzouki on my own, but I'm looking to push on now. Any suggestions appreciated.

Cheers,
Dub

banjopaul

Ckesk out the comhaltas website and ring and around the local branches to see if they have bouzouki lessons, its worth a try! http://www.comhaltas.ie/locations/

dublinario

banjopaul wrote:

Ckesk out the comhaltas website and ring and around the local branches to see if they have bouzouki lessons, its worth a try! http://www.comhaltas.ie/locations/

Thanks mate. Appreciated.

mountgarrett

Hi
I have just bought a bouzouki with the aim of playing it in the Irish style. Being mainly a guitar player with experience in playing with different tunings I need to consider which tuning to use. The same dilemma you faced! Having dabbled with a mandola I used GDAE but believe GDAD is the way to go. A bouzouki chord book I have recommends GDAE but I am not so sure. I would love to know what you have learned and which choices you made as you are further down the track than me. Secondly is there a difference between standard bouzouki strings and Irish bouzouki ones. I was surprised to see the top two pairs(bass) of strings each had a thinner partner, possibly a string to be tuned an octave higher. My mandola has four pairs the same gauge and octave. See I am threading water at the moment and need a lifebuoy! Thanks

dublinario

Hey Mountgarrett. Jaysus, this thread is a blast from the past. I almost feel guilty looking at it, because in the year and a half since I created it, I've done very little with the Bouzouki.

I ended up getting lessons off some French girl out in Blanchardstown. She was dead sound, and a great musician. I learnt one Irish tune inside out. Ultimately though, I knocked the lessons on the head after about 4 or 5. Although the teacher played lots of instruments in lots of styles, she had a very formal musical education (doctorate or a masters' degree I think), and she couldn't help bombarding me with such formality, despite me telling her I wasn't interested in mountains of theory. That wasn't me being lazy, or closed-minded; just practical. I didn't have that kind of time to burn.

As for tunings, I settled on GDAE. The French girl could play both (as well as lots of other tunings), so she didn't offer any particular opinion on which was better. I remember reading an interview with Andy Irvine (from Planxty), in which he said he started with GDAE, but was talked into GDAD -- against his better judgement -- and he is still eternally grateful to his persuader to this day. From his testimonies, and others, I suspect GDAD might be a bit more dynamic, chord wise; but for me, being able to visualise GDAE as a perfectly upside down guitar is hugely beneficial. Also, like yourself and your Mandola, I had a mandolin long before I had a bouzouki, and I had adopted GDAE already for the same upside-down guitar lazy-route.

As for strings, it's been a while since I read up on such matters, but I'm pretty sure it's regarded as a personal choice whether or not to use pairs of identical bass strings, or one big + one small in octaves. I like to use identical pairs, instead of octave pairs, although the octaves sound nice too.

So in conclusion, I've done f*ck all in the couple of odd years since I started this thread. Thank you for reminding me of my abject laziness, and slow march towards death,

Sincerely,
Dub

mountgarrett

Hi Dublinario

Thanks for your quick reply. Very decent of you. I am sitting in front of the computer twanging and switching between GDAE and GDAD! Trying to keep this thing in tune is driving me crazy with eight machine heads and twist sensitive strings. I too abandoned the mandola about a year ago when I wasn't getting anywhere. It was a pity as I had actually made the instrument myself over a period of a year attending a lutherer's class close to where I live. Recently I decided it was a bouzouki I should have made instead. I thought its sound was more what I wanted so I bought a cheapish one a few days ago(€340). Now I am a little worried the frets may not be accurately placed as I am constantly tuning as I move from chord to chord and as I move up the fret board. It may soon hit the wall literally. Through a link from the Andy Irvine site I found a website by a guy called Hans Speek. It's easy to find. In it he recommends GDAD and gives a comprehensive 9 page chord chart. Like you I don't do thoery well and can hardly read a note. I'm an ear man and a pretty impatient one too. So I think I will soldier with Hans for a while and go with GDAD. Interestingly with regard to stringing he does not favour the octave set up but seems to prefer the two lower bass strings as being the same if you know what I mean. Thanks again for your time. Hopefully my enquiry might inspire you to blow the dust off your instrument and start afresh. It's certainly a frustrating love affair but worth the heartache.

Thanks
Mountgarrett

flanum

i think theres a sticky yolk about lessons at the top of this forum?