9 Feb 2026

Seán Dagher — Live at Old Songs - Bouzouki and Vocals

A live concert of  Seán Dagher playing his Foley Bouzouki and singing lots of well known and lesser known songs. 



This is the setlist stolen from youtube:

Setlist 1:38 - South Australia 5:53 - Renzo 9:39 - Star of the County Down 14:25 - Hanging Johnny 18:19 - Maggie Mae 23:04 - Captain Kidd 28:00 - Le Capitaine de Saint-Malo 32:40 - Mary Ellen Carter 38:19 - Captain Ward 43:07 - Liverpool Judies 47:33 - Leave Her Johnny 1:10:56 - General Taylor 1:14:06 - Stormalong 1:16:17 - The Dreadnought 1:19:45 - Rio Grande 1:23:36 - Little Boy Billee 1:27:55 - Red Iron Ore 1:36:14 - Blow the Man Down 1:38:45 - Press Gang 1:41:42 - Blow Boys Blow 1:45:33 - Wellerman

3 Feb 2026

Robin Jones - New lesson „The Butterfly“ online

 Robin Jones‘ new lesson is online now. A wonderful arrangement of the Slipjig „The Butterfly“. Part 1 is available on YouTube, part 2 can be bought from his website

Bouzouki Tips wanted - Do you want to help me writing this blog?


This is not the first time I try to find some people who like to help me making my blog better. Until now no one answered!!!

This blog could be much better if I was not alone in collecting the content, making tabs etc. I think, every one of you, dear readers, has some ideas or skills which could help other players of the bouzouki in getting better or in understanding different topics a bit better. 

If you benefit from my work (and I spent many hours in making all this content) please consider sending me your best tips, tabs you made, songsheets etc to I can post them here. Of course your name will be published with your content!

Also:

If you can imagine writing posts for my blog yourself (bouzouki-related, of course), I would be delighted if you would contact me. I would be happy to fill the blog with content together with a team.


And if you benefit from my blog but don't fell you could publish something you maybe might think about supporting my work by buying me a coffee or a pint.

Buy Me A Pint

Matt Heaton - Accompanying Tunes in A-Dorian - My answer video A-Dorian on the Irish Bouzouki (GDAD)

 This morning I put together a little video in which I tried to explain my transitions of Matt Heaton's approach to accompanying tunes in A-Dorian. I hope this helps understanding my writings in the previous post.



Once again the script I made yesterday:

Buy Me A Pint

Main Chords: Am, G  also Em and C

Main Chords
Am: 2,2,0,2
G: 0,0,2,0 or 0,0,2,5 or 0.5.5.0
Em: 4,2,2,5 or 4,2,2,2 or x,2,2,2
C: 5,5,3,0 or 0,2,3,0

A: Part: 
Am | G | Em | Em-G
Am | G | Em | G-Am

or
Am | G | C-G/B | Em |
Am | G| C-G/B | Em-Am |

Run C, G/B, G
C: 5,5,3,0
G/B: 4,5,5,0 oder 4,5,2,0
G: 0,0,2,0 oder 0,5,5,0


Higher chords:

Am: 5,7,7,7
G: 0,5,5,0 oder 4,5,5,5 oder 4,5,5,0
connect with C and Em

more chords:

Am: 9,10,0,7
G: 0,9,10,0
Em: 9,9,10,0
they fit together well

Run C, G/B, G
C: x,10,7,0
G/B: x,9,10,0
G: x,5,5,0

Run: C, G, Am:    
C: x,10,7,0
G: x,9,10,0
Am: x,7,7,0 oder x,7,7,7


Tip for B-Part:

Start with D instead of Am! (D5!) - does not work always!!!
D: 7,7,0,0 
G: 0,5,5,0 oder 0,9,10,0
It works because D also includes A which is in the melody as well.


F-Chord
this works sometimes. In this tune there is no F in the melody. But you may use it in the B-Part, maybe in the repeat. 

Am | G | Em | G |
Am | G | Em | G-Am|
F | F | G | G |
Am | G | Em | G-Am |

F: 2,3,3,0
G: 4,5,5,0
Am: 2,2,3,0  oder 5,7,7,0

Another way of playing Am:
Am: 5,7,7,0
you might want to play it together with G: 4,5,5,0 and Em: 4,2,2,2 or 4,2,2,5 or maybe 0,2,2,2


So these are the tricks I found out while watching Matt's video. If you have other ideas I would be glad if you could send them to me. I would really appreciate your thoughts and would love to post them here on my blog.

2 Feb 2026

Matt Heaton - Tipps for Accompanying in A Dorian

Matt explains this matter for guitar, but it can be transferred to Bouzouki (GDAD) as well. These are my thoughts while looking at Matt's video. I wrote that in German, but I hope you can follow these thoughts. You may not understand my writings, if you don't watch the video, I think.



Hauptakkorde: Am, G  auch Em und C

Akkorde
Am: 2,2,0,2
G: 0,0,2,0 oder 0,0,2,5
Em: 4,2,2,5 oder 4,2,2,2 oder x,2,2,2
C: 5,5,3,0 oder 0,2,3,0

A: Part: 
Am | G | Em | Em-G
Am | G | Em | G-Am

oder
Am | G | C-G/B | Em |
Am | G| C-G/B | Em-Am |

Lauf C, G/B, G
C: 5,5,3,0
G/B: 4,5,5,0 oder 4,5,2,0
G: 0,0,2,0 oder 0,5,5,0


Akkorde in hohen Lagen:

Am: 5,7,7,7
G: 0,5,5,0 oder 4,5,5,5 oder 4,5,5,0
diese Akkorde mit C und Em verbinden

weitere Akkorde:

Am: 9,10,0,7
G: 0,9,10,0
Em: 9,9,10,0
diese passen gut zusammen!

Lauf C, G/B, G
C: x,10,7,0
G/B: x,9,10,0
G: x,5,5,0

Lauf: C, G, Am:    
C: x,10,7,0
G: x,9,10,0
Am: x,7,7,0 oder x,7,7,7


Tipp für B-Part:

Statt mit Am beginnen mit D! (Aber D5) - funktioniert nicht immer!!!
Also D: 7,7,0,0 
dann G: 0,5,5,0 oder 0,9,10,0
funktioniert, da in D auch A enthalten ist und Melodie viel A beinhaltet.


F-Chord
kann manchmal funktionieren. In diesem Tune kommt kein F vor. 
Im B-Part aber möglich, evtl in der Wiederholung:

Am | G | Em | G |
Am | G | Em | G-Am|
F | F | G | G |
Am | G | Em | G-Am |

F: 2,3,3,0
G: 4,5,5,0
Am: 2,2,3,0  oder 5,7,7,0

Buy Me A Pint

Here's a video for you to practice:


31 Jan 2026

Declan Plummer - Workshop in Accompanying the tune "Scatter The Mud"

 Declan Plummer runs the "Top Score Music Academy" where he hosts a course for Irish Bouzouki. I mentioned it here before. Maybe you want to have a look at it here.

A few days ago he made a live session for his contributers on YouTube. He chose a YouTube video of a fiddler playing the tune and works out an accompaniment on the go. 



It's a really long video. If you only want to look at the results start at approx. Minute 43. Before that he listens to the tune, works out the key, transposes it to ADor and tries out some chords.
He uses a lot of apps I don't know, which I have to find out if they might be helpful for me. 

He always uses the actual played chord names which makes it a bit difficult to understand. In my opinion it would be easier to use the chord names of the chord shapes which are used. E.G. when capo is on 7th fret the chord you hear is Aminor, but the shape is that of Dminor. So if you know the chords which are usually used for Dmin it it much easier to follow. But that's only my point of view.

Here are some of the riffs Declan found out:



30 Jan 2026

The Mountain Top - Learn Irish Music

Learn Irish Music provides some nice tunes to learn. First a version with Flute only, then one with backing, mostly bouzouki.

 


Here's the tab of the bouzouki accompaniment I tried to make. You can download the full tab here.

Buy Me A Pint



2 new lessons from Luke Ward on his Patreon

 


Luke Ward released two new Lessons on his Patreon page yesterday. Accompaniment to the song "Reconciliation" from the album of his band "Tempest" and an accompaniment to the tune "Molly Ban". If you join his Patreon, you will also have access to many more lessons. These top class lessons are intended for advanced players who already have some basic knowledge of accompanying tunes. But there are also lessons available for beginners.

https://www.patreon.com/c/IrishbouzoukiwithLukeWard/posts?vanity=IrishbouzoukiwithLukeWard

Air Tune written by Liz Carroll played by Fuar

A lovely version of this Liz Carroll tune here played by Fuar. I can't find any information about the band online. They released an album called "Music in the glen" which you can find on Spotify and Apple Music. 


This is what my tab of the bouzouki part looks like. If you like you can download the full tab here:

Buy Me A Pint


26 Jan 2026

Anders Lillebo - The Waystone

 Anders Lillebo (Piano Accordion) plays his own composition "The Waystone" beautifully accompanied by an unknown 10 string Bouzouki player. If you know his name please put him in the comments.

Here's a link to the dots: https://thesession.org/tunes/22813

Liam O'Brien (Concertina) & Killian Shannon (Bouzouki), Tribute to Larry Reynolds

 A lovely video of Concertina and Bouzouki. Liam and Killian playing a Maurice Lennon composition "Tribute to Larry Reynolds". https://thesession.org/tunes/12406

Irish bouzouki lesson, strumming patterns for jigs, plus different chords

Another beginner lesson on youtube. If you already watched other beginner lessons you won't find lots of new information here but it's worth a look.

24 Jan 2026

Online Workshop with Daoiri Farrell tomorrow, Sun. 25

 I know, I'm a bit late with this. Daoiri Farrell will be holding a workshop where he is teaching his version of "The Foggy Dew". He writes about this:

What we’ll cover: 40 minutes — the foundations of the tune Approach, rhythm, accompaniment ideas, and structure. 20 minutes — live Q&A. This workshop is aimed at players who want to deepen their understanding of accompaniment and song-based bouzouki playing in an Irish traditional context. It's going to be online (Zoom). There are unlimited places so please get in touch (on my Facebook music account) to secure a place.

If you don't have Facebook and want to take part just contact me and I'll help.

4 Jan 2026

UCC TradSoc Lunchtime Concert - Áine Teape & Evan Ó Cualáin

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. 



Buy Me A Pint