Roadie Tuner 3 - Is it worth it?

The Roadie Tuner is an automatic tuner for stringed instruments. I was curious if it would work with the bouzouki. As it was a lot cheaper on Black Friday I bought it via Amazon to give it a try. 

If you want to know more about it look here.

There's an app that goes with it where you can specify your preferred tunings. For GDAD you have to build a new instrument which only takes a few minutes. You even can take a photo of your instrument if you like.

I first tested it on my guitar tuned DADGAD and it worked fine. Tuning went fast with no problems. So I really was impressed at first time.

But then I tried my Foley ... and my Fylde and another Foley and another bouzouki. What should I say, tuning with a standard digital tuner is much faster and more accurate. I tried it several times and never got a correct tuning. So I can't recommend it for Bouzouki, although I think the idea is good. But 139€ is a lot of money for a device that screws your pegs just like your fingers can.

The video I did is not very professional and I did not edit the process of tuning to show how long it takes and how strange the device sometimes works. 

As a result I'll definitely send it back. Maybe I'll give Roadie 6 a second chance ;-)

Most watched posts on my blog during the past 12 months

These are the most watched posts on my blog during the past 12 months. Interesting that most people are looking for chords or information on building a bouzouki.

Please tell me, what are you looking for, what information do you need for your playing the bouzouki. Any questions, any hints what you would like me to post here?

And do you know of any hidden treasures on the web which I haven't covered here? Please let me know and I will try to post it. If you have anything to contribute to this blog please feel free to get in contact.

Bouzouki Tutorial - The Little Drummer, Daoiri Farrell live version

 Brent Matusik just published a new tutorial video on youtube. Here he shows how to accompany the song The little drummer as played by Daoiri Farrell. 

This are the lyrics I found here 

Little Drummer, The

Sheet Music (and more information about this song)

One fine summer's morning, both gallant and gay,
Twenty-four ladies went out on the quay,
And a regiment of soldiers it did pass them by,
A drummer and one of them soon caught his eye.

He went to his comrade and to him did say,
"Twenty-four ladies I saw yesterday,
Oh, but one of them ladies she has me heart won,
And if she denies me I'm surely undone."

"Go to this lady and tell her your mind
Tell her she's wounded your poor heart inside.
Go and tell her she's wounded your poor heart, full sore,
And if she denies you what can she do more?"

So early next morning this young man arose,
Dressed himself up in a fine suit of clothes,
With a watch in his pocket and a cane in his hand,
Saluting the ladies he walked down the strand.

He went up to her and he said "Pardon me,
Pardon me lady for making so free,
Oh my fine honored lady, you have my heart won,
And if you deny me I'm surely undone."

"Be off little drummer, now what do you mean?
For I'm the lord's daughter of Ballycasteen.
Oh, I'm the lord's daughter that's honored, you see,
Be off little drummer, you're making too free."

He put on his hat and he bade her farewell
Saying: "I'll send my soul down to heaven or hell.
For with this long pistol that hangs by my side,
Oh, I'll put an end to my own dreary life."

"Come back little drummer, and don't take it ill,
For I do not want to be guilty of sin,
To be guilty of innocent blood for to spill.
Come back little drummer, I'm here at your will."

"We'll hire a car and to Bansheer we'll go.
There we'll be married in spite of our foes.
Oh, but what can they say when it's over and done,
But I fell in love with the roll of your drum?"

Daoiri Farrell Trio - Live concert

This is an extract of a concert of Daoiri, Mark Redmond and Robbie Walsh in Spain. It can also be found here. 

00:00 Zoological Gardens 05:32 The Hag in the Blanket - The Road to Lisdoonvarna (jig) - The Boy on the Hilltop 09:27 Tippin it up to Nancy 12:21 Paddy's Green Shamrock Shore 18:08 The Dark Slender Boy 22:23 The Blue Tar Road 27:12 Rakish Paddy** 29:02 Bodhrán Solo 30:42 The Creggan White Hare

Daoirí Farrell Trio (Daoirí Farrell, vocals and Irish bouzouki. Robbie Walsh, bodhran vocals and effects pedal. Mark Redmond, vocals, whistle and bagpipes)

Andy Irvine - Live in Büdingen 10.11.2024 Encore

 Now this is the encore Andy played. Also the setlist. But he did not play My heart's tonight.

Andy Irvine - Live in Büdingen 10.11.2024, second set

This is the second set Andy played in Büdingen.

 

Andy Irvine - Live in Büdingen, 10.11.2024 first set

Last weekend I had the pleasure to see Andy Irvine live in Germany. He was in a fantastic mood and really enjoyed the nice audience. This is the first set he played there.

Unfortunately the camera made two files of the recording near the end of the song. Here's the second part of the set.

Michael Eskin - 50 Trad Irish Session Tunes for Bouzouki

 Michael Eskin programmed the abc transcription tools which help musicians to convert abc to tab. He found a way to publish pdf files of tunebooks, in which you not only see the tab, but by clicking on the title it opens a player where you can listen to the files. What a great helping tool this is. 

Here is an example from his website where you can try these features.

https://michaeleskin.com/transcriptions/50_Irish_Session_Tunes_GDAD_3Mar2024.pdf

Bouzouki Tabs in GDAD - ebook

 By chance I found this ebook which  contains a lot of tabs for bouzouki in GDAD. It cost €9.90. If you are looking for some tabs you might have a look at it. 

https://www.tenor-banjo-tabs.com/bouzouki-tabs-in-gdad.html

Here's a list of songs and tunes included. Seems to be a lot of them ...

Here's an example page:

Joe Bane's Barndance - Matt Heaton Arrangement

In their January Session Matt and Shannon Heaton played Joe Bane's Barndance, a tune I really love. As we are invited to play a few tunes at a wedding of a good friend we decided to play this tune. So as a preparation for the event I tried to tab Matt's version. I tabbed the first and second round through which are slightly different. First line accompaniment (Capo 5), second line melody (no capo).

Tune starts at around 6:00

If you'd like the whole tab as pdf please write an email and I'll gladly send it to you. You can contact me by clicking on "about me" on the right side.