Tunes played on bouzouki.

Subject: Tunes played on bouzouki.
From: The Shambles
Date: 03 Sep 00 - 06:12 PM

I had forgotten that I had submitted a tune to this site. I have been listening to the other tunes here and there are some fine ones, played on a fine instrument.

Well worth a listen.

Subject: RE: Tunes played on bouzouki.
From: Bill D
Date: 03 Sep 00 - 06:38 PM

funny...I was just ready to ask Shambles if it was ok to post this!...he plays a VERY nice tune...fast & intricate...(yeah...the others are pretty good, too!)

Subject: RE: Tunes played on bouzouki.
From: The Shambles
Date: 04 Sep 00 - 03:47 AM

Thank you Bill. I think it fair to say that the others took far more time over the recording side of things than I did (and it shows).

There are some good examples of what the solo instrument can do and of how versatile it is. There does not seem to be many tracks where even the same tuning was used.

The (Irish) bouzouki does not have a long history but it is a fine instrument for performance and recording, where it can be amplified to enable it to compete with other louder instruments. A bit of a waste of time at sessions, if you wish to play melody and be heard however.

I do know folk who do take a small amp to sessions but I don't think that is the answer. A bad precedent that, you never know who may decide to amp-up their instrument the next time.

To my shame I play the (tenor) banjo at sessions (when the noise level goes up), but although the tune you are playing can be heard, you do not get any of the subtlety that the bouzouki brings. The banjo however, is fine for driving on tunes, that do not require a lot of subtlety... My wife keeps suggesting that I use the garden shed for banjo practice?

I read recently that (tenor) 'banjo players were failed fiddlers'... Maybe then, the 'good ol zouk' is the answer?.

Subject: RE: Tunes played on bouzouki.
From: GUEST,Aidan Crossey
Date: 04 Sep 00 - 04:44 AM

Or fiddlers are failed tenor banjo (or mandolin or mandola or bouzouki, etc.) players?

Or like me - failed miserably at just about every stringed instrument I've attempted to play, sniff.

Subject: RE: Tunes played on bouzouki.
From: sledge
Date: 04 Sep 00 - 05:19 AM

I've recently started on the Bouzouki as my first ever proper instrument and I love it. My proficiency is still low as practice is interupted by my going overseas and I am loath to subject it to long distance travel, besides when at home I have choose my times with care as my girlfriend hates wierdy beardy folk music. The tuning I use is GDAD.

Subject: RE: Tunes played on bouzouki.
From: GUEST,Aidan Crossey
Date: 04 Sep 00 - 08:07 AM

(aka derrymacash, guesting cos I'm at work)

Every sympathy there! My wife used to like folk music till she married me and realised that I have a tendency to spend every available moment (and some that shouldn't be available!!) noodling away on my mandolin or bouzouki (mildly annoying) or tenor banjo (completely maddening).

Now and again I get one of my guitars out (blow dust off) and there's a huge sigh of relief.

Never tried the GDAD tuning (use GDAE on all my four-coursers). But it's great that you've recently taken up the zouk. The world needs more folk and traditional musicians!!

If you DID decide to try out GDAE, there's a wealth of tunes tabbed out on www.mandolincafe.com which you wouldn't need to adapt.

Good on ye!

Subject: RE: Tunes played on bouzouki.
From: sledge
Date: 04 Sep 00 - 09:10 AM

Aiden,

Thanks for the pointer and encouragement. The other problem is that there is a dearth of music teachers in my area. So I am learning from a book on Irish Bouzouki that a friend passed to me, very frusutrating at times.

Cheers

Subject: RE: Tunes played on bouzouki.
From: gillymor
Date: 04 Sep 00 - 10:10 AM

Thanks Shambles, this looks like an interesting site but I can't download anything here. Is anyone else having trouble here? It could just be this ancient machine of mine but I'm not even getting an error window from Real Audio.

Frankie

Subject: RE: Tunes played on bouzouki.
From: The Shambles
Date: 04 Sep 00 - 01:10 PM

As to the site. I have downloaded both MP3's and RA without any problems. Is anyone else having problems?

It's well worth the effort.

Subject: RE: Tunes played on bouzouki.
From: GUEST, Banjo Johnny
Date: 04 Sep 00 - 01:30 PM

I played with a guy on Irish bouzouki and it sounded awesome, like a giant mandolin. I asked him to play Never on Sunday and he never heard of it. == Johnny

Subject: RE: Tunes played on bouzouki.
From: The Shambles
Date: 04 Sep 00 - 04:13 PM

Maybe you should have asked him to play Zorba the Irishman?

On a Saturday?

Frankee could the problem be the fact that you have to download the files zipped? They then need to be un-zipped to your PC, to be played.