Beginners Bouzouki Lesson by Antoine Owena

This video is made for the absolute beginner of the Irish Bouzouki, so if you just started to play you might watch this video.

Virtual Guided Session - Shannon Heaton with John Coyne

The Virtual Guided Session by Matt and Shannon Heaton will be celebrating its 3rd year next Saturday. 

Last week Shannon played the session with Bouzouki player John Coyne, because Matt was on Tour with Karan Casey. So this session was full of Bouzouki fun in ADAD!

How to play jigs on the Irish Bouzouki - Eamon Coughlan

Eamon Coughlan is a (mostly) bouzouki player from Australia. In this video Eamon explains some techniques for accompanying jigs on the bouzouki.

Here's his site on bandcamp.

The Wren - Breton An Dro

 The Breton tune beautifully played on fiddle and bouzouki.

 Another fine version by Matt and Shannon Heaton can be found here.

 

10 most often watched posts last 30 days

 So these are the 10 most often watched posts during the last 30 days for your information.

Still lots of readers are looking for chord or chord charts. So if you look here you'll find lots of chord charts or videos where chords are explained. 

https://irish-bouzouki.blogspot.com/search/label/Chord%20Charts

you might look also here:

https://irish-bouzouki.blogspot.com/search/label/Chords

More than 500.000 views!

Wow, now my blog made it to more that half a million views. That's quite a lot, considering that the Irish bouzouki is only known to a small part of the population.
Despite the joy of it, I find it a pity that so little interactivity happens. I honestly wish there was more commentary. It would also be nice if you readers gave tips for contributions.

Maybe one or the other could also enrich the blog with their own videos or tips. How about making a short video explaining a topic and uploading it to youtube? This could be tips on accompanying individual tunes, tips on accompanying polkas, slip jigs etc. or also possibilities of accompanying in different keys or modes (Dmix, Am etc.).

Think about it. I could also imagine appointing someone else as admin to create more content together. If you want to do this, just contact me.

I wish you much joy with your Bouzoukis. Have fun learning and commenting, commenting, commenting. Oh yes, and write me emails ;-)

The Parting Glass - Sandra Joyce, Donal Lunny

The debut album by Sandra Joyce has just been released. On most of the tracks she is accompanied by Donal Lunny.

You'll find the album here on bandcamp where you can listen to it and buy it as download or CD.

You'll get 10 beautiful songs, two of them unaccompanied and the other 8 beautifully arranged with bouzouki, flute, fiddle and concertina.

I was blown away by the sparse beauty of the arrangement of the well known song "The Parting Glass". I tried to get near the arrangement of Donal Lunny, I hope I got some of his ideas.

You can listen to the song here on bandcamp.

So is is the tab I made, might be rhythmically not correct, but I hope most of the chords are. If you'd like to have the tab as printable pdf please click here.

If you download please comment here!

{t:The Parting Glass}
{st:Sandra Joyce - Donal Lunny}

Of [A5]all the money [E*]that [F]e’er I [D]had  {c:E*=nur Ton E}
[G*]I’ve [C]spent it in [F*]good [C]compan[G]y
And [Am]all the [F]harm that [C]e’er I’ve [G]done
[D/A]A[C/G]las [F]it [C/G]was [D/A]to [Am]none but [F]me
And [C]all I’ve [C*]said for [C]want of [C*]wit
To [F]memo[G*]ry [G]now I [Am]can’t [G*]re[G]call
[G*]So [Am]fill to [A5]me the [C]par[G*]ting [G]glass
Good [C]night [F]and [C]joy [G*]be [Am]with [G*]you [F]all

If I had money enough to spend
And leisure time to sit a while
There is a fair maid in Limerick town
that sorely has my heart beguiled
Her rosy cheeks and ruby lips
she alone has my heart in thrall
So fill to me the parting glass
Good night and joy be with you all.


Of all the comrades that e’er I had
They are sorry for my going away
And all the sweethearts that e’er I had
They'd wish me one more day to stay
But since it falls unto my lot
That I should rise and you should not
I’ll gently rise and I’ll softly call
Good night and joy be with you all

Daoiri Farrell's new Bouzouki made by Joe Foley - The Foggy Dew

This is the first video I found in which Daoiri plays his new bouzouki made by Joe Foley, Dublin. What a beauty! I really like the greek style front.

In this video he and his trio play the Foggy Dew. Enjoy!

Buy his new album here at bandcamp

 Here's the Creggan White Hare:

Sam Hall - Easy tutorial für accompaniment - Part 1

I made this video today for a friend who is a beginner on the bouzouki. It's in German, but I think easy to understand. Maybe it helps to activate the translate funcion on youtube.

It only covers the first part of the song. I start with an easy picking pattern. Later I add some hammering-on and hammering-off.

Would be great to get some response, if this video is helpful and easy to understand.

 

This will lead to the arrangement in Daoiri Farrell style which I made some time ago and posted here. 

Another arrangement of the song by Darren Lynch can be found here.

NoCapo

[D]  [G]  [D]
Oh, me [D]name it is Sam [G]Hall,
chimney [D]sweep, chimney [A]sweep
Oh, me [D]name it is Sam [G]Hall,
chimney [D]sweep

Oh, me [G]name it is Sam [Em]Hall,
and I've [D]robbed both great and [A]small
And me [Bm]neck will pay for [G]all,
when I [D]die, when I [A]die
And me [Bm]neck will pay for [G]all,
[A]when I [D]die

I have [D]twenty [F#m]pounds in [Bm]store,
[D]that's not [G]all, that's not [A]all
I have [D]twenty [F#m]pounds in [Bm]store,
[A]that's not [G]all

I have [Em]twenty pounds in [G]store,
and I'd [D/A]rob for [G/B]twenty [A/C#]more
For the [D]rich must [F#m]help the [Bm]poor,
[D]so must [G]I, so must [A]I
For the [D]rich must [F#m]help the [Bm]poor,
[A]so must [G]I

Oh, they [D]took me to Coot[G]hill,
in a [D]cart, in a [A]cart
Oh, they [D]took me to Coot[G]hill,
in a [D]cart

Oh, they [G]took me to Coothill,
where I [D]stopped to make my [A]will
For the [D]best of friends must [G]part,
so must [D]I, so must [A]I
For the [D]best of friends must [G]part,
so must [D]I

Up the [D]ladder I did [G]grope,
that's no [D]joke, that's no [A]joke
Up the [D]ladder I did [G]grope,
that's no [D]joke

Up the [G]ladder I did grope,
and the [D]hangman he pulled his [A]rope
But [D]ne'ar a word I [G]spoke,
tumbling [D]down, tumbling [A]down
But [D]ne'ar a word I [G]spoke,
tumbling [D]down

Oh, me [D]name it is Sam [G]Hall,
chimney [D]sweep, chimney [A]sweep
Oh, me [D]name it is Sam [G]Hall,
chimney [D]sweep

Oh, me [G]name it is Sam Hall,
and I've [D]robbed both great and [A]small
And me [D]neck will pay for [G]all,
when I [D]die, when I [A]die
And me [D]neck will pay for [G]all,
when I [D]die

Top 20 Reels at slow speed (with Tab, but for Banjo GDAE)

Another video by Ben Hockenberry. This time he plays the top 20 Reels from Irishtune.info. Very helpful for learning accompaniment. Remember, you can speed up the video in the settings.

 

 

These are the tunes:

0:17 #20: The Gravel Walks (Am) 2:26 #19: Father Kelly's (G) 4:10 #18: Ships are Sailing (Em) 5:55 #17: Miss McLeod (G) 7:37 #16: Congress (Am) 9:24 #15: Rolling in the Ryegrass (D) 10:48 #14: The Star of Munster (Am) 12:32 #13: The Wise Maid (D) 14:15 #12: The Cup of Tea (Em/D) 16:45 #11: The Merry Blacksmith (D) 18:28 #10: The Earl's Chair (D) 20:13 #9: The Sally Gardens (G) 21:55 #8: The Wind that Shakes the Barley (D) 23:13 #7: The Musical Priest (Bm) 25:08 #6: The Maid Behind the Bar (D) 26:50 #5: The Banshee (G) 28:34 #4: The Mountain Road (D) 29:52 #3: Drowsy Maggie (Em/D) 31:13 #2: The Silver Spear (D) 32:55 #1: Cooley's (Em)