Bouzouki and Flute, my favourite combination, here in a lunchtime concert for UCC TradSoc. Would be great if someone has the time to post the names of the tunes in the comments.
3 Jan 2026
Sheep in the boat - Jig accampaniment by Tom Oakes
I found this recording on my harddrive. Tom Oakes sent it to members of a flute workshop some time ago. I love his bouzouki accompaniment here. So I tried to tab it.
My tab looks like this, it starts really easy.
1 Jan 2026
Online Workshop with Tijn Behrends on Feb 21!!!
Tijn Berends will be online with a bouzouki workshop soon. Here's some info from the website of Tune Supply:
The bouzouki is a highly versatile instrument, suitable for energetic, rhythmic backing, for subtle counterpoint, and even for melody. Good backing is sculpted to the contours of the rest of the music, adding energy to lift up the tune, leaving room where it is needed, and generally building a framework for the melody instruments to latch on to. In this workshop, we’ll use a few pre-recorded tunes to hone our listening skills, identifying what kind of flow the tunes have, what twists and turns they suggest in the harmony, and where they call for accents, hops, and other funky ornaments. Instructor: Tijn Behrends Who's this for: Bouzouki Level: Intermediate Will this class be taught by ear, with sheet music, or both? Both Cost: Pay what it's worth to you. (The checkout page defaults to $25, but that's not the suggested price...choose what works for you. Thanks!) Video: Registered students will receive the class recording immediately after the class, so feel free to sign up even if you can't attend live.
About Tijn:
My name is Tijn Berends. For those lacking in Dutch fluency: 'Tijn' vaguely rhymes with 'tine' (the thing at the end of a fork). If you make it rhyme with 'pidgeon', I will do my best to smile through the tears. I started playing the harmonica some twenty years ago, but a bunch more instruments have accumulated in my house since then; a concertina (which to me is basically a harmonica with an artificial lung), and a big family of string instruments, the Irish bouzouki being their pater familias. I play trad music in different settings, ranging from the weekly sessions to a big, Riverdance-like theatre ensemble. I also compose my own tunes, which has the big advantage that I can invent my own names for them ('Bacon Pancakes Are The Most Tastiest Food In The Entire World' is one of my favourites, though the translation doesn't really do justice to the poetic Dutch original).
21 Dec 2025
OAIM - First Month Free offer -Ends on Christmas Eve!!!
I think/hope you all know OAIM - The Online Academy Of Irish Music. They offer lots of lessons for various instruments in Irish Music. All that for a monthly fee of around 20€, that's a fair price. And you can cancel your membership at any time.
Once a year they offer a month free of charge. So this might be your chance to get into it and have a look at all the lessons they offer, and that's a lot. And if you cancel your membership within the first month they won't charge you anything. Ain't that a fair offer. So hurry and subscribe!
Just go to the website, select monthly plan. To get the free offer use the promotional code
👉 XMASOFFER2025
18 Dec 2025
Caroline Keane - Kickstarter Project for new Album
This is not a complete Bouzouki CD, but there will be some bouzouki playing to be heard on this second Album by Caroline. I met her several times on my visits to Dingle in the pas years. She's a fantastic concertina player. If you don't know her first CD please give it a listen.
Now she is on her way to the second Album which might be even better. So please consider backing her project on kickstarter. Here's the link:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/carolinekeanemusic
Here are two videos of her and Tom Delaney which I recorded in Dingle last summer.
This is what Caroline writes about her project:
Hi everyone,
I’m so excited to share my new solo album with you and invite you to be part of it through this Kickstarter. This collection means a lot to me. Each piece represents a pivotal moment in my journey as an artist, a chance to pause, reflect, and think about what’s ahead.
I feel incredibly lucky to be working with some of the most talented and generous musicians in the traditional music scene. Their creativity and passion have lifted this project in ways I couldn’t have imagined, and I’m deeply grateful for their contributions.
It’s been five years since my debut album SHINE. Life has been full, marriage, the birth of our two little ones, Chloe and Turlough, and everything in between. Musically, I’ve been exploring new paths too. Supported by Údarás na Gaeltachta, I’ve been researching and responding artistically to music from the place I now call home, Corca Dhuibhne. A Traditional Arts Bursary kindly bestowed by The Arts Council also allowed me to dive into the concertina’s potential as an accompaniment instrument. Both projects contribute material to this new collection.
Motherhood has brought its challenges but also a huge burst of energy, creativity, and passion. I feel more driven than ever to make art, collaborate, and share music that’s honest, creative and plain old giddy.
This album explores themes close to my heart: strong women, family, resilience, self-advocacy, stepping into my voice as an artist, and leading by example for my kids. I hope it will take you on the journey with me through moments of laughter, elation, loss, and resilience.
I’m lucky to be collaborating with amazing creatives: musicians Steve Cooney, Ryan Molloy, Conal O’Kane, Edwina Guckian, Tom Delany, and Eamonn Murray; videographer Mickey Kelly; artist Karen Sherwood; graphic designer Ross Curran; and sound engineer Donogh Hennessy. Their dedication and creativity inspire me every day. I’m still shaping the artwork and can’t wait to share it with you.
By backing this project, you’ll get early access to the album, limited-edition merchandise, and even a chance to attend a private concert. It’s also the perfect opportunity to grab a gift for the music lover in your life: Albums, collector’s items, original compositions, or even concertina lessons. Most importantly, you’ll be helping an independent artist bring this project to life.
Thank you for listening, coming to shows, and supporting independent music. You make this possible, and I’m endlessly grateful.
Caroline x
Gary Curley & Stephen McKee - Rollicking Boys Of Tandragee Tab
This is my humble attempt to tab the nice bouzouki backing of the tune by Ryan O'Donnell.
You can download the whole tab here.
As you can't listen to only one tune of the album on bandcamp I uploaded the first part of the jig to youtube so you can have a listen to what it sounds like.
8 Dec 2025
Gary Curley & Stephen McKee - Chunky Business CD out on Bandcamp
You'll find 12 sets of tunes, some old, some new. I especially enjoyed listening to some of the well known tunes again.
So you might give it a listen. You can listen to all tracks on bandcamp, so you have enough listening time to decide whether to buy or not.
I tried to tab one of the bouzouki arrangements and will post it here within the next days.
2 Dec 2025
Daoiri Farrell - The Unquiet Grave - Lyrics and Chords
“The Unquiet Grave” is a centuries-old ballad, believed to date back to at least the 17th century, and catalogued as Child Ballad 78 and Roud 51. Deeply rooted in the British and Irish folk tradition, it explores themes of grief, love beyond death, and the danger of clinging to the past.
The song tells the story of a mourner who sits at the grave of a lost lover for “a twelve-month and a day.” On that final day, the ghost of the deceased speaks, asking the mourner to move on, warning that excessive grief “will not let me sleep.” The mourner asks for one final kiss, but the ghost replies that such a kiss would be fatal. The song ends with a bittersweet truth: even the strongest love must yield to death and decay.
Daoirí Farrell recorded this haunting ballad on his 2016 album True Born Irishman. His version features a sparse, atmospheric arrangement with pipes, whistle, cello, and banjo, capturing the ethereal tone of the lyrics. Farrell’s expressive voice brings emotional depth to the ancient dialogue, offering a powerful meditation on mourning, memory, and the limits of love across the boundary between life and death.
I couldn't find a live version of Daoiri singing this song with only bouzouki backing. So here is the album version.
{t:The Unquiet Grave}
{st:Daoiri Farrell}
Oh, the [D]Wind doth [G]blows [Em]today my [A]love
[G]A few small [D]drops of [A]rain
And [D]never have I [A]had but [D]one true [G]love
Now In [D]cold clay [A]she is [D]lain[D/G] [D]
And I'll [D]do as [G]much for my [Em]own true [A]love
[G]As any [D]young man [A]will
I'll [D]sit all [A]on my [D]true loves [G]grave
For [D]twelve months [A]and a [D]day [D/G] [D]
At [D]twelve [G]months and a [Em]day being [A]gone
A [G]voice it [D]spoke from the [A]deep
"Who [D]is it [A]sits all [D]on my [G]grave
And [D]will not [A]let me [D]slee[D/G]p?" [D]
Oh, tis [D]I, tis [G]I, my [Em]own true [A]love
That [G]sits all [D]on your [A]grave
I [D]crave one [A]kiss from [D]your sweet [G]lips
And [D]that is [A]all I [D]crav[D/G]e [D]
"Well if you [D]had one [G]kiss from my [Em]clay cold [A]lips
My [G]breath it is [D]earthly [A]strong
And [D]had you but one [A]kiss from [D]my cold [G]lips
You're [D]time on [A]earth would soon be [D]done[D/G]" [D]
Oh my [D]time being [G]long, or my [Em]time being [A]short
[G]Tomorrow [D]or to[A]day
[D]May God in [A]heaven take [D]all of my [G]soul
For I'll [D]kiss your [A]lips of [G]clay
See [Em]down in [A]yonder [G9]garden [A]fair
[Em]Where we [G9]used to [A]walk
Oh, the [D]sweetest [A]flower that [D]ever did [G]grow
Is [D]withered [A]to the [D]stal[D/G]k [D]
And that [D]stalk is [G]withered [Em]dry now my [A]love
[G]And so our [D]hearts they must de[A]cay
So [D]make your[A]self con[D]tent, now my [G]love
Until [D]God takes [A]you aw[D]ay."[D/G] [D]
Oh, the [D]wind doth [G]blow t[Em]oday my [A]love
A [G]few small [D]drops of [A]rain
And [D]never have I [A]had but [D]one true [G]love
Now In [D]cold clay [A]she is [G]lain [D]
If you copy these lyrics and import them into an lyrics and chords app like Songbook you can see the chords above the lyrics, transpose etc. In the Songbook app you can define Bouzouki as instrument and it has chords implemented so you can see how to play them. You even can define your own chords, which is really handy sometimes. The app is available for most platforms.
Here I have collected some videos how this app works.
20 Nov 2025
Daoiri Farrell - Collected chordsheets and Tabs
Over the years, I have made and collected several tabs and chord sheets from Daoiri Farrell. Over the last 10 years, he has undoubtedly become one of Ireland's most influential singers.
I first met him in 2011 at a weekend workshop and was impressed by his manner and musicality. At the time, he was still relatively unknown and had just released his first CD, which I had to purchase immediately.
I still have a video of him playing my bouzouki made by Heiner Dreizehnter and singing the song ‘Paddy's Green Shamrock Shore’. I had requested this song because he had sung it at the ceilidh the night before. You can also find this video on YouTube.
Here are the links to my chordsheets and tabs:
The Galway Shawl - Intro and chords
Paddy's Green Shamrock Shore and here
When The Breakers Go Back On Full Time
Here's a link to a concert I filmed with his Trio in 2019. This is an excerpt, The Blue Tar Road.
Daoiri Farrell - The Hills Of Granemore - Lyrics and Chords
“The Hills of Granemore” is a traditional hunting ballad rooted in County Armagh, Ireland. It tells the poignant story of a hare hunt in the hills near Granemore and Keady. Set on a fine morning, the song follows a group of hunters and their hounds as they pursue a hare across the fields. Told with rich natural imagery and dramatic tension, the ballad ultimately shifts perspective to the dying hare, who curses those who brought the hounds and bids farewell to the countryside.
Though often treated as anonymous folk tradition, the song is sometimes attributed to Owen McMahon of Tassagh. It is indexed as Roud 2883 and has appeared in various folk song collections. A local Granemore publication links the song’s origin to a hunt in the winter of 1933–34, said to have inspired a version created in the house of Joe and Pat Toner.
Daoirí Farrell learned his version from the late Al O’Donnell, a singer he greatly admired. Farrell recorded it on his 2019 album A Lifetime of Happiness. His deeply emotive delivery and subtle arrangement highlight the song’s underlying themes of respect for nature, loss, and the fading traditions of rural Ireland.
Unfortunately I couldn't find a live version of Daoiri singing it alone with Bouzouki backing.
{t:The Hills Of Granemore}
{st:Daoiri Farrell}
No Capo
One [G]fine winter’s [D]morning, my [Bm]horn I did [A]blow
To the [D]green fields of [G]Keady, to [A]hunt I did [D]go
We [G]gathered our [D]dogs and we [G]circled [Bm]around
[A]Oh, for none [G]loves the hunt [D]better than the [Bm]boys of May[A]down
And [G]when we ar[D]rived, they were [Bm]all standing [A]there
So we [D]took to the [G]fields in [A]search of the [D]hare
But we [G]did not go [D]far ’til some[G]one gave a [Bm]cheer
[A]Over [G]high hills and [D]valleys, the [Bm]wee hare did [A]steer
When she [G]got to the [D]heather, she [Bm]tried them to [A]shun
But the [D]dogs they never [G]missed her, one [A]inch where she [D]ran
They [G]were kept well [D]packed, going [G]over the [Bm]hill
[A]They [G]had set thems[D]elves on this [Bm]wee hare to [A]kill
And it [G]being quite [D]early, I [Bm]stopped for a [A]while
Twas [D]little I [G]thought they were [A]going to meet [D]Coyle
For [G]had I known [D]that, I’d have [G]lain near the [Bm]town
[A]I’d have [G]tried to get [D]rid of those [Bm]dogs of May[A]down
As we [G]drew o’er the [D]hill it was a [Bm]beautiful s[A]ight
There were [D]dogs black and [G]yellow and [A]dogs black and [D]white
And she [G]took to the [D]black bank to [G]try them once [Bm]more
[A]Oh, and it [G]was our last [D]look on the [Bm]hills of [A]Granemore
And [G]as they grew [D]near where the [Bm]wee hare did [A]lie
She sprung [D]up to her [G]feet for to [A]bid them good[D]bye
But their [G]music did [D]cease and her [G]cry we did [Bm]hear
[A]Saying [G]bad luck the [D]ones brought the [Bm]Maydown dogs [A]here
In a [G]field of wheat [D]stubble, the [Bm]wee hare did [A]lie
And [D]Rory and [G]Charmer, did [A]soon pass her [D]by
And [G]there where we [D]stood at the [G]foot of the [Bm]brae
[A]I [G]heard the last [D]words that the [Bm]wee hare did [A]say
Oh, no [G]more o’er the [D]green fields of [Bm]Keady I’ll [A]run
Or [D]trip through the [G]fields in s[A]port or in [D]fun
For last [G]night as I [D]lay quite con[G]tent in the [Bm]glen
[A]It was [G]little my [D]thoughts were of [Bm]dogs and of [A]men
And [G]no more o’er the [D]green fields of [Bm]Keady I’ll [A]roam
And [D]now that I am [G]dying the [A]sport is all [D]done
Nor [G]hear the long [D]horn that Joe [G]Toner does [Bm]play
[A]Or go [G]home to my [D]bed by the [Bm]clear light of [A]day
Oh, you may [G]blame Ole Mc[D]Maddon for [Bm]bringing Coyle [A]here
He’s been [D]at the same [G]caper for [A]manys' the [D]year
Every [G]Saturday and [D]Sunday, he’ll [G]never give [Bm]o’er
[A]With a [G]pack of strange [D]dogs ’round the [Bm]hills of Grane[A]more
If you copy these lyrics and import them into an lyrics and chords app like Songbook you can see the chords above the lyrics, transpose etc. In the Songbook app you can define Bouzouki as instrument and it has chords implemented so you can see how to play them. You even can define your own chords, which is really handy sometimes. The app is available for most platforms.
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