Bouzouki Tuning

[Joan]

Hi all,

I play a little on my trichordo and sing as well. My vocal range is in between the high range of most of the rebetissa vocalists and the low range of someone like Markos. I guess there haven’t been many female bouzouki players. Bellou sang in a low range, but she wasn’t playing bouzouki. I love some of her repertoire, but a lot of it is a different genre than the songs I’m wanting to play. Anyway, I’ve always used the standard D-A-D tuning before.

My question is: I’ve now been tuning down to A-E-D so that I can use the same fingering as in D-A-D and use the open string but also be able to sing in my best voice. The strings are a little floppy, but I really like the lower intonation.

I’m interested in whether or not anyone else tunes down to accommodate a vocal range. Also, how is this going to work when playing with other musicians? Any advice from any of you who have experienced this issue might be very helpful.

Joan Friedberg

[Pierce H.]

Geia sas mangkissa!

One tuning I have tried is F-C-D (bass to treble) .  You can play along with Markos' Karantouzeni and Efounermam ena bradi, and Arap (sorry for Greeklish) in this tuning. This might be easier to sing with, and should certainly be easier to play, as I would imagine E would be very loose.

Another tuning I like is B#-B#-D.  Some on youtube call this "Peiraiotikos", but all I know is it sounds good and I can sing alright with it.

Anyway, I really only play alone, and I love to play very early and pre-rempetika tunes, so I have never really worried about how I sing I guess.  But remember, if the intervals are the same, the fingering will be the same, so if you play alone, it shouldn't matter.  I figure, do what you want if it works!

Cheers

Pierce

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Rebetika" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rebetika+u...@googlegroups.com.
To post to this group, send email to rebe...@googlegroups.com.
Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rebetika.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.

--

Peter Semmes-Hansen

[Pierce H.]

Edit second tuning I mention is (A# A# D). I was thinking "B flat" and wrote B sharp...Hope that clarifies my mentioning a non-existent note!

--

Peter Semmes-Hansen

[Joan]

Thanks Pierce. I too like the early rebetika. I'm not into hash but the hashlidika music is heavy; whereas the post WWII rebetika lost a lot of the pathos. Thank you for the tuning tips. I'm going to try them out. 

Joan

Sent from my iPad

[Pierce H.]

No problem! Haha, yeah to xasisi is a bit harsh for my tastes too, but I guess smoke 'em if you 'em, right?! 

I love the "heavy" rhythm of the old baria zeimpekeki. and the Yioroutiko.  Please listen to the interview of Stelios Keromytis on youtube. He explains the main tunings and some other great information. Its not translated but if you know some Greek you should be alright.

Let me know what you think, and I'm always happy to share and receive! 

Kales pennies!

[Pierce H.]

if you got em* haha, I'm to used to IM instead of email...

--

Peter Semmes-Hansen

[The Walrus]

Have you a link for that? I'm failing to find it...

[Joan]

Hello Chris,

Here it is. It’s in Greek.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ntU8DwbUPM

Joan Friedberg

joancarolfriedberg.com

Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/rebetika.

[Constantine Kokenes]

Awesome, thanks! 

Sent from my iPhone

[Νίκος Πολίτης]

I always tend to intervene when the “term” Youroukiko” is written or spoken wrongly. Both Markos and Keromitis pronounced it as “youroutiko” but all I can say is that they misunderstood as the word was being passed further from the refugees to the Greek locals. Such a rhythm / intonation does not exist. Instead, there exists a tribe, to be found on the mountains of south - western Asia Minor, with the name of Yuruk or Yoruk (both o and u need the two dots over them, but my writer program will not accept these characters). Being shepherds, the Yuruk people wander a lot, so they have been given this name which in Turkish means “speedy runner”, also wanderer. And there also exists a specific intonation of the 9 to the bar rhythm, that the Turks call yuruk. Transferred into Greek, the word of course becomes youroukiko.