Irish bouzouki
Encyclopedia
The Irish bouzouki is a development of the octave mandolin
adapted for Irish traditional and other folk music from the late 1960s onward.
, in the newer tetrachordo (four course
/eight string, or τετράχορδο) version developed in the twentieth century, was introduced into Irish Traditional Music in the late 1960s by Johnny Moynihan
of the popular folk group Sweeney’s Men
, and popularized by Andy Irvine
and Dónal Lunny
in the group Planxty
. In a separate but parallel development Alec Finn
, later with the Galway-based traditional group De Dannan
, obtained a trichordo (three course/six string, or τρίχορδο) Greek bouzouki on his own. With a few exceptions, bouzouki players playing Irish music tend to use the instrument less for virtuoso melodic work and more for chordal and contrapuntal accompaniment for melodies played on other instruments such as the flute or fiddle. Because of this it is common to use matched strings on the two bass courses, tuning to unison pairs in order to enhance the bass response of the instrument.
Shortly after the Greek bouzouki's initial introduction new designs built specifically for Irish traditional music were developed. These were all essentially fairly standard european flat top and back octave mandolins. The body was widened and a flat back with straight sides replaced the round, stave-built back of the Greek bouzouki. English builder http://www.xs4all.nl/~hspeek/bouzouki/abnett.html Peter Abnett, who was the first instrument maker to build a uniquely "Irish" bouzouki - for Dónal Lunny in 1970 - developed a hybrid design with a 3-piece dished back and straight sides. All of the initial Irish bouzoukis had flat tops, but within a few years luthiers such as Stefan Sobell began experimenting with carved, arched tops, taking their cue from American archtop guitars and mandolins. Even so, today the overwhelming majority of builders opt for flat (or slightly radiused) tops and backs.
The Irish bouzouki has also become integrated into some other western European musical traditions over the past forty years. Popularly used in the music of Asturias, Galicia, Brittany, Spain, and even the Scandinavian countries (in fact, there is even now a new Nordic branch of the instrument, having been modified further to suit the unique requirements of those musics). The instrument's role is usually a combination of interwoven accompaniment (usually a mix of two note intervals, bass lines and countermelody) and melodic play. Instrumental arrangements by musicians such as Ale Möller
from Sweden, Jamie McMenemy of the Breton group Kornog
, Elias Garcia of the Asturian groups La Tuenda and Llan de Cubel, and Ruben Bada of the Asturian group DRD, typify the complex admixture of melody and chordal accompaniment to be found amongst skilled continental players. It has also become fashionable for some of these musicians to mix instrumental pieces from the Balkans into their material, creating the novelty of western European instruments playing music typically played by Bulgarian/Macedonian tamburas or Greek bouzoukis in their native setting.
Other tunings used, although by a minority of players, are "octave mandolin" tuning G2 D3 A3 E4 , and A2 D3 A3 D4 .
Ironically, the GDAD tuning is closer to the D3 A3 D4 tuning of the Greek trichordo bouzouki than is the guitar-like tuning C3 F3 A3 D4 used on the modern Greek tetrachordo, and is particularly well suited to a modal harmonic approach to accompaniment as used in Irish traditional music.
Alec Finn, playing a Greek trichordo bouzouki, uses the traditional D3 A3 D4 tuning with the octave pair on the low D course changed to unison.
For many builders and players, the terms "bouzouki", "cittern", and "octave mandolin" are synonymous. The name cittern
is often applied to instruments of five courses (ten strings), especially those having a scale length between 20 and 22 inches (500mm and 550mm). They are also occasionally called "10 string bouzoukis" when having a longer scale length. The fifth course is usually either a lowest bass course tuned to C2 or D2 on an instrument with a long scale, or a highest treble course tuned to G4 or A4 on a shorter one. Luthier Stefan Sobell, who coined the term "cittern" for modern instruments, originally used the term for all instruments irrespective of the number of their strings but now applies "cittern" to all 5 course instruments irrespective of scale length, and "octave mandolin" to all 4 course instruments, leaving out bouzouki entirely.
Mandolin-family luthiers producing an octave mandolin are more likely to use mandolin tuning machines and reproduce the details and styling of their American-style carved top mandolins. Some luthiers choose to refer to their clearly bouzouki-style instruments as octave mandolins, or even as mandocellos, despite the GDAD tuning. The octave mandolin is usually regarded as having a shorter scale length than the Irish bouzouki, in the vicinity of 20 to 23 inches (50 and 58.4cm), while the scale length of the Irish bouzouki most often ranges from 23 to 25 inches (58.4 and 63.5cm). Some instruments have scales as long as 26 or even 27 inches (66 to 68.7cm). These longer-scaled instruments are generally acknowledged to possess greater volume, sustain, and tonal richness but some players find the stretches involved in fingering too difficult and so prefer shorter scale lengths.
There may be a trend towards calling all medium scale four course instruments "octave mandolins" in spite of their tunings and especially if they have carved/arched tops, as well as applying "bouzouki" to any medium to long scale instruments, especially if they are tuned GDAD or ADAD and have flat tops. Calling all five course instruments "citterns," irrespective of their construction and tuning also seems to be a trend.
Octave mandolin
The octave mandolin is a fretted string instrument with four pairs of strings tuned in 5ths, G, D, A, E , an octave below a mandolin. It has a 20 to 23 inch scale length and its construction is similar to other instruments in the mandolin family...
adapted for Irish traditional and other folk music from the late 1960s onward.
Adoption for Celtic music
The Greek bouzoukiBouzouki
The bouzouki , is a musical instrument with Greek origin in the lute family. A mainstay of modern Greek music, the front of the body is flat and is usually heavily inlaid with mother-of-pearl. The instrument is played with a plectrum and has a sharp metallic sound, reminiscent of a mandolin but...
, in the newer tetrachordo (four course
Course (music)
A course is a pair or more of adjacent strings tuned to unison or an octave and usually played together as if a single string. It may also refer to a single string normally played on its own on an instrument with other multi-string courses, for example the bass string on a nine string baroque...
/eight string, or τετράχορδο) version developed in the twentieth century, was introduced into Irish Traditional Music in the late 1960s by Johnny Moynihan
Johnny Moynihan
John "Johnny" Moynihan , is a folk singer based in Dublin, Ireland. He is often credited as being responsible for introducing the bouzouki and the Irish bouzouki into Irish music in the mid 1960s. Known as "The Bard of Dalymount", as a young man he played in the band Sweeney's Men with Andy Irvine,...
of the popular folk group Sweeney’s Men
Sweeney's Men
Sweeney's Men was an Irish traditional band. They emerged from the late 1960s Irish roots revival, along with groups such as The Dubliners and the Clancy Brothers. The founding line-up in May 1966 was 'Galway Joe' Dolan, Johnny Moynihan and Andy Irvine....
, and popularized by Andy Irvine
Andy Irvine (musician)
Andrew Kennedy 'Andy' Irvine is a folk musician, singer, and songwriter, and a founding member of the popular band Planxty. He is an accomplished player of the mandolin, bouzouki, mandola, guitar-bouzouki, harmonica and hurdy-gurdy....
and Dónal Lunny
Dónal Lunny
Dónal Lunny is an Irish folk musician. Lunny has been at the forefront of the evolution of traditional Irish music for more than thirty-five years and has participated within the renaissance of traditional Irish music in that time period...
in the group Planxty
Planxty
Planxty is an Irish folk music band formed in the 1970s, consisting initially of Christy Moore , Dónal Lunny , Andy Irvine , and Liam O'Flynn...
. In a separate but parallel development Alec Finn
Alec Finn
Alec Finn is an English-born Irish traditional musician who is famous for his unique style of accompaniment on the bouzouki. He is best known for founding De Dannan with Frankie Gavin, Ringo MacDonagh and Charlie Piggott after a series of music sessions at Tigh Hughes, An Spidéal, Co. Galway in...
, later with the Galway-based traditional group De Dannan
De Dannan
De Dannan was an Irish folk music group. They were formed by Frankie Gavin , Alec Finn , Johnny "Ringo" McDonagh and Charlie Piggott as a result of sessions in Hughes's Pub in An Spidéal, County Galway, subsequently inviting Dolores Keane to join the band...
, obtained a trichordo (three course/six string, or τρίχορδο) Greek bouzouki on his own. With a few exceptions, bouzouki players playing Irish music tend to use the instrument less for virtuoso melodic work and more for chordal and contrapuntal accompaniment for melodies played on other instruments such as the flute or fiddle. Because of this it is common to use matched strings on the two bass courses, tuning to unison pairs in order to enhance the bass response of the instrument.
Shortly after the Greek bouzouki's initial introduction new designs built specifically for Irish traditional music were developed. These were all essentially fairly standard european flat top and back octave mandolins. The body was widened and a flat back with straight sides replaced the round, stave-built back of the Greek bouzouki. English builder http://www.xs4all.nl/~hspeek/bouzouki/abnett.html Peter Abnett, who was the first instrument maker to build a uniquely "Irish" bouzouki - for Dónal Lunny in 1970 - developed a hybrid design with a 3-piece dished back and straight sides. All of the initial Irish bouzoukis had flat tops, but within a few years luthiers such as Stefan Sobell began experimenting with carved, arched tops, taking their cue from American archtop guitars and mandolins. Even so, today the overwhelming majority of builders opt for flat (or slightly radiused) tops and backs.
The Irish bouzouki has also become integrated into some other western European musical traditions over the past forty years. Popularly used in the music of Asturias, Galicia, Brittany, Spain, and even the Scandinavian countries (in fact, there is even now a new Nordic branch of the instrument, having been modified further to suit the unique requirements of those musics). The instrument's role is usually a combination of interwoven accompaniment (usually a mix of two note intervals, bass lines and countermelody) and melodic play. Instrumental arrangements by musicians such as Ale Möller
Ale Möller
Ale Möller is a Swedish musician and composer.He was born and grew up in Scania in southern Sweden and started in music as a jazz trumpet player...
from Sweden, Jamie McMenemy of the Breton group Kornog
Kornog
Kornog is a Breton folk music band formed in the 1980s. They are notable in that they have been perhaps the only Breton band to have had a serious touring presence in the United States, so for many in North America, Kornog defines Breton music. The word ‘kornog’ means “west” in the Breton language...
, Elias Garcia of the Asturian groups La Tuenda and Llan de Cubel, and Ruben Bada of the Asturian group DRD, typify the complex admixture of melody and chordal accompaniment to be found amongst skilled continental players. It has also become fashionable for some of these musicians to mix instrumental pieces from the Balkans into their material, creating the novelty of western European instruments playing music typically played by Bulgarian/Macedonian tamburas or Greek bouzoukis in their native setting.
Tuning
By far the most common tuning for the Irish bouzouki is G2 D3 A3 D4 . This was pioneered by Johnny Moynihan first on the mandolin and then transferred to a Greek bouzouki. It was later picked up by Andy Irvine and Dónal Lunny, and quickly became the next thing to a standard tuning for the 4 course instrument.Other tunings used, although by a minority of players, are "octave mandolin" tuning G2 D3 A3 E4 , and A2 D3 A3 D4 .
Ironically, the GDAD tuning is closer to the D3 A3 D4 tuning of the Greek trichordo bouzouki than is the guitar-like tuning C3 F3 A3 D4 used on the modern Greek tetrachordo, and is particularly well suited to a modal harmonic approach to accompaniment as used in Irish traditional music.
Alec Finn, playing a Greek trichordo bouzouki, uses the traditional D3 A3 D4 tuning with the octave pair on the low D course changed to unison.
Description: Bouzoukis, Octave Mandolins, and Citterns
Amongst many luthiers and musicians the Irish bouzouki is considered to be part of the mandolin family, other instruments of which include the mandolin, mandola (called "tenor mandola" in Europe), octave mandolin ("octave mandola" in Europe), and mandocello. But for others this new family of instruments is separate. At any rate, since the genesis of the Irish bouzouki in the late 1960s, luthiers have incorporated so many aspects of mandolin construction, particularly when building archtop Irish bouzoukis, that for most it is a moot point.For many builders and players, the terms "bouzouki", "cittern", and "octave mandolin" are synonymous. The name cittern
Cittern
The cittern or cither is a stringed instrument dating from the Renaissance. Modern scholars debate its exact history, but it is generally accepted that it is descended from the Medieval Citole, or Cytole. It looks much like the modern-day flat-back mandolin and the modern Irish bouzouki and cittern...
is often applied to instruments of five courses (ten strings), especially those having a scale length between 20 and 22 inches (500mm and 550mm). They are also occasionally called "10 string bouzoukis" when having a longer scale length. The fifth course is usually either a lowest bass course tuned to C2 or D2 on an instrument with a long scale, or a highest treble course tuned to G4 or A4 on a shorter one. Luthier Stefan Sobell, who coined the term "cittern" for modern instruments, originally used the term for all instruments irrespective of the number of their strings but now applies "cittern" to all 5 course instruments irrespective of scale length, and "octave mandolin" to all 4 course instruments, leaving out bouzouki entirely.
Mandolin-family luthiers producing an octave mandolin are more likely to use mandolin tuning machines and reproduce the details and styling of their American-style carved top mandolins. Some luthiers choose to refer to their clearly bouzouki-style instruments as octave mandolins, or even as mandocellos, despite the GDAD tuning. The octave mandolin is usually regarded as having a shorter scale length than the Irish bouzouki, in the vicinity of 20 to 23 inches (50 and 58.4cm), while the scale length of the Irish bouzouki most often ranges from 23 to 25 inches (58.4 and 63.5cm). Some instruments have scales as long as 26 or even 27 inches (66 to 68.7cm). These longer-scaled instruments are generally acknowledged to possess greater volume, sustain, and tonal richness but some players find the stretches involved in fingering too difficult and so prefer shorter scale lengths.
There may be a trend towards calling all medium scale four course instruments "octave mandolins" in spite of their tunings and especially if they have carved/arched tops, as well as applying "bouzouki" to any medium to long scale instruments, especially if they are tuned GDAD or ADAD and have flat tops. Calling all five course instruments "citterns," irrespective of their construction and tuning also seems to be a trend.