What Are Octave Strings on a Greek Bouzouki?
The bouzouki is an ancient instrument associated with Greece and the Middle East. Its origins can be traced to Persia and Turkey, as well as Greece itself. Irish musicians adopted the bouzouki in the 1960s and, consequently, it has become an important instrument in Irish music. Traditional bouzouki music is often compared to American blues because of its improvisatory nature and lyrical content. The Greek bouzouki, like the mandolin, uses string-pairs that function as individual strings.
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Octave Strings
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The bouzouki is similar to the mandolin and the 12-string guitar. All three instruments use pairs of strings rather than single strings. The strings are fretted and played together as a single string. Bass strings are tuned an octave apart and treble strings are tuned in unison.
Three- and Four-String Bouzoukis
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The Greek bouzouki was originally a three-string instrument. This was the classical instrument used in Greek bouzouki music and the one still preferred by traditionalists. The four-string bouzouki was introduced in the late 1950s and made popular by Monolis Chiotis. The first recording of the four-string bouzouki was in 1958. Its tuning was similar to a guitar and this made the instrument easier for guitar players to play. Purists felt the new instrument altered the character of the music in an unfavorable way. However, the four-string bouzouki has become a popular instrument in traditional Irish music. Johnny Moynihan introduced the four-string bouzouki to Irish music in 1966.
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Tuning the Octave Strings
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Since the bouzouki uses string pairs rather than single strings, the strings are typically tuned in unison or tuned to an octave. The traditional tuning for the three-string Greek bouzouki is D-A-D. The bottom strings are tuned an octave apart, Dd. The two treble strings are tuned in unison, aa and dd. The tuning for the four-string bouzouki is C-F-A-D. The two bass strings are tuned an octave apart, Cc and Ff. The two treble strings are tuned in unison, aa and dd.
Playing Octave Strings
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Octave strings, in general, produced a thicker and fuller sound simply by the fact that the strings are doubled. Greek bouzouki players use the bass strings for two primary purposes; for chords on the first and second fret and to produce a droning effect. Melodies are played on the first two strings up and down the fretboard.
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References
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