The Complete Irish Bouzouki App by Declan Plummer

 Declan from Top Score Music Academy made a new web-app. In this video he shows how it works and what it can do. Have a look for yourself. If you tried it please comment what you think about it.

What is an Irish Bouzouki, Video by N.K. Forster

Nigel Forster is a well known Luthier who lives in New Zealand. For a long time he worked with Stefan Sobell and he learned a lot at that time. In this video he tells lots of interesting things about the Irish Bouzouki. Afterwards you can see some videos where musicians play his instruments. 

This video covers:
— Where the Irish bouzouki came from, and is it really English?
— The Sobell design: carved arched top, curved back, long scale
— Tonewoods: what works best for the instrument?
— The common tunings.
— Cheap vs expensive: why most affordable bouzoukis never sing, and what to actually buy if you're starting out

Lesson Beeswing by Johannes Broborn

 Johannes Broborn made a new lesson on how to play the Richard Thompson song Beeswing. This song is often heard in sessions. 

Here are the lyrics to the song:

I was nineteen when I came to town, they called it the Summer of Love
They were burning babies, burning flags, the hawks against the doves
I took a job in the steamie down on Cauldrum Street
And I fell in love with a laundry girl who was working next to me

Oh she was a rare thing, fine as a bee′s wing
So fine a breath of wind might blow her away
She was a lost child, oh she was running wild
She said "as long as there's no price on love, I′ll stay
And you wouldn't want me any other way"

Brown hair zig-zag around her face and a look of half-surprise
Like a fox caught in the headlights, there was animal in her eyes
She said "Young man, oh can't you see I′m not the factory kind
If you don′t take me out of here I'll surely lose my mind"

Oh she was a rare thing, fine as a bee′s wing
So fine that I might crush her where she lay
She was a lost child, she was running wild
She said "as long as there's no price on love, I′ll stay
And you wouldn't want me any other way"

We busked around the market towns and picked fruit down in Kent
And we could tinker lamps and pots and knives wherever we went
And I said that we might settle down, get a few acres dug
Fire burning in the hearth and babies on the rug
She said "Oh man, you foolish man, it surely sounds like hell
You might be lord of half the world, you′ll not own me as well"

Oh she was a rare thing, fine as a bee's wing
So fine a breath of wind might blow her away
She was a lost child, oh she was running wild
She said "as long as there's no price on love, I′ll stay
And you wouldn′t want me any other way"

We was camping down the Gower one time, the work was pretty good
She thought we shouldn't wait for the frost and I thought maybe we should
We was drinking more in those days and tempers reached a pitch
And like a fool I let her run with the rambling itch

Oh the last I heard she′s sleeping rough back on the Derby beat
White Horse in her hip pocket and a wolfhound at her feet
And they say she even married once, a man named Romany Brown
But even a gypsy caravan was too much settling down
And they say her flower is faded now, hard weather and hard booze
But maybe that's just the price you pay for the chains you refuse

Oh she was a rare thing, fine as a bee′s wing
And I miss her more than ever words could say
If I could just taste all of her wildness now
If I could hold her in my arms today
Well I wouldn't want her any other way

Tradtab.com - Tabs, Tuner, Chords for Irish Bouzouki and other stringed instruments

A website with thousands of tabs for tunes. Comes with a tuner and chord shapes, abc-converter and scales. Just put this on your homescreen on your phone and you have instant access to these features.

You can find it here.

This is the tuner

and some scales

Jig Picking Technique: Lesson by Guy Millward

 This is a lesson for beginners how to play Jigs. He leads you through a lot of well thought exercises. You might want to look for his other videos on youtube too.

The Gander In The Pratie Hole - Irish Bouzouki Lesson - Part A by Guy Milward

Guy Milward is a new name to me. Here's a lesson how to play the A-Part to the Jig The Gander In The Pratie Hole. He learned it from Macdara O'Faolain. The Tab and notation can be found on his website

His free lessons can be found here

Lesson: Andy M. Stewart-The Rambling Rover by Johannes Broborn

 Johannes Broborn uploaded his second lesson, this time he shows how he plays the Rambling Rover, a well known song written by Andy M. Stewart, the former lead singer of the Scottish band Silly Wizard. 

Andy also recorded some solo albums which are worth listening to. He was ill for a long time and died some years ago. He left us a lot of beautiful songs. If you can get hold of one of his songbooks (I think there are two out there) don't hesitate buying them.

Here's Johannes' video:

Here are the lyrics and the chords I play, might be different from the ones Johannes uses

{t:The Rambling Rover}

{st:Andy M. Stewart}

 

{soc}

[D]Oh, there're sober men aplenty,

[D]And drunkards barely twenty,

There are m[G]en of over [D]ninety

That have [Em]never yet kissed a [G]girl.

But give m[D]e a ramblin' rover,

A[D]nd fair Orkney down to Dover.

We will r[G]oam the country [D]over

And togeth[G]er we'll [A]face the[D] world.

{eoc}

 

I[D]'ve roamed through all the nations

T[D]a'en delight in all creation,

And I've tried a[G] wee sensation

Where the c[D]ompany, did prove[Em] kind.

And when p[D]artin' was no pleasure,

I[D]'ve drunk another measure

To the go[G]od friends that [D]were treasure

For they a[G]lways are[A] in our [D]minds.

 

{soc}

[D]Oh, there're sober men aplenty,

[D]And drunkards barely twenty,

There are m[G]en of over [D]ninety

That have [Em]never yet kissed a [G]girl.

But give m[D]e a ramblin' rover,

A[D]nd fair Orkney down to Dover.

We will r[G]oam the country [D]over

And togeth[G]er we'll [A]face the[D] world.

{eoc}

 

T[D]here's many that feign enjoyment

F[D]rom merciless employment,

Their am[G]bition was this de[D]ployment

From the [Em]minute they left the [G]school.

And they s[D]ave and scrape and ponder

W[D]hile the rest go out and squander,

See the w[G]orld and rove and [D]wander

And are [A]happier as a rule. [D] 

 

{soc}

[D]Oh, there're sober men aplenty,

[D]And drunkards barely twenty,

There are m[G]en of over [D]ninety

That have [Em]never yet kissed a [G]girl.

But give m[D]e a ramblin' rover,

A[D]nd fair Orkney down to Dover.

We will r[G]oam the country [D]over

And togeth[G]er we'll [A]face the[D] world.

{eoc}

 

I[D]f you're bent wi' arth-i-ritis,

Y[D]our bowels have got colitis,

You've gallopin'[G] with bollockitis

And you're[D] thinkin' it's ti[Em]me you died,

If you bee[D]n a man of action,

T[D]hough you're lying there in traction,

You will [G]get some satisfa[D]ction

Thinkin', [G]"Jesus, a[A]t least [D]I tried." 

 

{soc}

[D]Oh, there're sober men aplenty,

[D]And drunkards barely twenty,

There are m[G]en of over [D]ninety

That have [Em]never yet kissed a [G]girl.

But give m[D]e a ramblin' rover,

A[D]nd fair Orkney down to Dover.

We will r[G]oam the country [D]over

And togeth[G]er we'll [A]face the[D] world.

{eoc}

Luke Ward - Irish Bouzouki Lessons - The Congress Reel in different Capo positions

This is a really helpful lesson by Luke Ward. Oftentimes you have to accompany a set of tunes where you have to change capo positions. To avoid this you might want to be able to play in different keys. The Congress Reel is in A-Dorian. You can play it without capo, with Capo at 2nd position playing in G-Dorian, with Capo at 5th position playing in E-Dorian and in 7 position playing in D-Dorian.

Luke shows necessary chords and how to accompany the Congress Reel using these shapes. 
By becoming a patreon on his site you'll have access to all his fantastic lessons. 

You might also have a look at the website of his band Tempest here

Here's a short snippet from the lesson:

TOPSCORE Music Academy - Irish Traditional Music Practice Tool

 Declan Plummer of TopScore Music Academy has launched a new helping tool. There is a similar feature available on youtube, I think I wrote about it some time ago, but Declan tries to take the idea a little bit further. His tool is not finished yet and within the next 5 days or so you can get it for free. After that period you'll have to pay 5 Pound for it. 

You'll get it for free if you subscribe to TopScore Music academy and write an E-Mail to Declan.

Declan writes:

A quick reminder that the App is free for you guys in the community only until 27 June, so if you're interested let me know, and also encourage anyone else to join the community and they'll get it free too, but only if they ask within the next week!

Here's a quick demonstration video I made just a minute ago. 

Enda Scahill - How to get sooo good

 OK, in this video there is no bouzouki at all. But I'm pretty sure every bouzouki player can benefit from what Enda is showing in this video. It's all about learning in chunks. Have a look and you'll know.

Alan Murray & Finn Magill - The Bank Of Turf

Have I actually told you that I particularly like the way Alan Murray plays the bouzouki? Well, a few weeks ago I asked Luke Ward if he could do a lesson on Alan Murray’s playing style. In his generous way, he actually did two lessons – one on a reel and one on a jig. You can get these on his Patreon page. Do you remember, I mentioned his patreon a lot of times now. It’s really worth becoming a member there. He’s now got nearly 30 fantastic lessons there, so there’s plenty to learn.

The jig he chose was ‘Australian Waters’, a tune I wasn’t familiar with and hadn’t heard at sessions before. But afterwards, Finn and Alan play the jig ‘The Bank of Turf’, which you often hear at sessions. The tune starts at 40:19 in the video. So I thought I’d have a go at writing down Alan’s accompaniment for this tune. I’ve written out the first and second rounds in Tabledit. (It's a fine app for MAC/PC to write Tab for stringed instruments) 

You can download the tab here and here.

And if you like my work please consider to buy me a drink or two.

Gabriel McArdle & Fintan McManus - Willie Rambler, Tab of Intro and first verse

 What a beautiful song, wonderful sung and played. 

These are the lyrics I found at Mudcat.org (Not the lyrics Gabriel McArdle sings!)

When I was young and foolish, my age being 24,

I left Lough Erne's lovely banks. To England I sailed o'er.

'Twas there I met a lady gay of honour and renown,

And of her I did ask the way to famous London town.

"What would you take, young man," she said, "along with me to stray?

And we'll talk about old Ireland and Lough Erne another day.

I have ranches down in Texas. I have horses by the score;

And I'll take you down the Rio Grande. It's far from Erne's shore."

"Oh, no, kind lady. Pardon me. Your wealth I do disdain.

I'll go with you another day your fond love to maintain.

There is no night nor hour bright is half so fair as you,

But Erin's fens and plains and glens to leave them I would rue.

"How could I leave Lough Erne's banks where my young Molly dwells?

Your mansions and your castles are to me like prison cells.

Were you ever on Lough Erne's banks when the sun is setting low,

With the purple of the heather and the moon a fiery glow?

"The fair in Enniskillen is the greatest fair of all,

Where the cailins are the fairest and the boys are straight and tall;

So I'll bid adieu to Texas, too. I'll see it never more,

For I'm going back to Ireland and lovely Erne's shore."

And here's the tab to the Intro (you can download the whole pdf here):

And today I tabbed the first verse. I had lots of trouble to put in the lyrics in Tabledit, so they may not be at the correct places. You can download the full pdf here.

There's a mistake in the tab, in Tacet 11 the chord has to be G!

The Lowlands Of Holland - new lesson by Robin Jones

Robin Jones's new lesson is online. His version of "The Lowlands Of Holland" is based on the version of Ye Vagabonds. You'll learn a melodic variation and the rhythmic accompanyment of the song. Also lots of other stuff, so check out part 2 on his website.

Luke Ward - Irish Bouzouki Lessons - Golden Eagle Hornpipe

A new video Lesson by Luke Ward is available on his patreon site. This time it's a hornpipe, The Golden Eagle. Learn a complex rhythmic accompanyment with colourful chords. Here's a sample with Brendan Mulholland on flute.

Jim McGrath, Shane McAleer, and Fintan McManus - The Knocknaboul Polka

This is a fine example of Polka accompanyment. The tune is in G, so you could play it with capo on 5th fret with D chords, but Fintan plays without capo in G. So this is a good example to practice playing in G. 

I tried to tab the accompanyment. As the first half is not complete I inserted the first part of the second round through the tune. You can download the whole pdf here.