Irish Bouzouki    Back

   The Bouzouki is a long-necked Lute developed in Greece from Turkish roots. It comes from a different branch of the lute family than the mandolas. It was originally a 6 string instrument (DAD) but more modern Greek makers started making an 8 string bouzouki tuned CFAD, one tone below the top four of a guitar. The original Greek style bouzoukis are still very popular, both for Greek music, and accompanying traditional Irish folk music. The bouzouki was picked up by Irish musicians travelling abroad and adapted for their use by retuning to GDAE. Modern makers then started producing them with flat backs which made them almost identical to the octave mandola. The crucial difference is the scale length, which is longer. This can affect fingering, but also affects sound because the strings are thinner. It is an instrument capable of playing a melody, an octave lower than the fiddle and mandolin, or to provide a rhythm or beat using chords. It was perhaps best popularised by Donal Lunny, of the band Planxty.

The flat-backed 'Irish' Bouzouki has a brighter more open sound, and is easier to hold. The scale length is now generally a little shorter than Greek bouzoukis, and the distinction between Bouzouki and Octave Mandola (also known in America as Octave Mandolin) has become blurred, as the neck length is the only difference. Instruments with a scale longer than around 580mm, are described as Bouzoukis. Tuning is either GDAE, or GDAD. Additionally players may prefer to use octave pairs for the lower courses, as with a 12 string guitar.    The gauges for strings as recommended by Hobgoblin, are as follows, for either tuning; G D A E 40-44w 28w 16 or 20w 11-13    Players must take care that the 'floating bridge, which can easily get knocked, retains a position the same distance from the 12th fret, as that is from the nut.    It is played with a plectrum.    Retuning a Greek style bouzouki to the Irish tuning must be done with care, as the neck is often longer and more slender, requiring lighter gauge strings.

 Bouzoukis can be used to follow a tune as a lower mandolin, or to provide a rhythm using chords, or even a combination of the two.

There is an excellent page on the Irish bouzouki, which contains a lot of information at Han's Bouzouki Page.

Traditional Greece Bouzouki		Modern flatback
		Note: 16 frets to the neck
	traditional bouzouki front	traditional round back	Octave Mandola