bluegrassboy123
Bouzouki- How It Made It's Mark- Zak McConnell
Amy Arrington, _The Bouzouki_, photograph, 2007, Amy Arrington's Personal Photos, Dahlonega Georgia
The art of bluegrass is constantly changing with the additions of new and innovative instruments; the most recent addition to the continuous metamorphosis is the bouzouki. The bouzouki is a primitive and popular instrument of modern Greek music as well as other Balkan folk music, especially of Serbia, Herzegovina, and Bosnia. Very similar to a mandolin (as far as tuning, shape, and sound), it is a member of the lute family, traced back even to stories in mythology. In ancient Greece, the instrument was known as the “pandouris” or “pandourion” and for many years it was an integral part of the folk movement in Greece. Turkey also incorporated the bouzouki into its culture of music. It was known to them as the Turkish Tanbur, which was practically identical to the ancient Greek pandouris. Throughout the Middle East the bouzoukia were “Trichordo” bouzoukia, meaning each had six strings in three pairs (contrary to the common bouzouki today which has eight strings in four pairs), which fit very well with the music of the Middle Eastern countries. By the 1950’s Ireland became a dominant supporter of the bouzouki, and before long it was incorporated into Ireland’s traditional and folk music. The primary job of the bouzouki was to maintain the rhythm and countermelodies of the songs. However, today the bouzouki is seen as more of an interesting lead instrument, and tends to be much more versatile. During the late 1960’s throughout the 1970’s professional musicians began traveling to Ireland more frequently to study the art of traditional Irish folk music. It was here they were introduced to the bouzouki for the first time, and in the latter part of the decade they brought back with them the bouzouki. In the early 90’s Tim O’Brien (famous bluegrass/folk legend) began incorporating the recording the bouzouki with his music, and from this other bluegrass and folk icons embarked on their involvement with the bouzouki. Today the bouzouki is sometimes considered an outsider to the world of bluegrass, but year-by-year it is becoming more and more popular.
Shelton, Robert,_The Face of Folk Music_(New York: The Citadel Press, 1968), 22-247.
Neil V. Rosenberg, "From sound to Style: The Emergence of Bluegrass,"_The Journal of the American Folklore_80 (April-June 1967): 143-150.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bouzouki
Bouzouki- How It Made It's Mark- Zak McConnell
Amy Arrington, _The Bouzouki_, photograph, 2007, Amy Arrington's Personal Photos, Dahlonega Georgia
The art of bluegrass is constantly changing with the additions of new and innovative instruments; the most recent addition to the continuous metamorphosis is the bouzouki. The bouzouki is a primitive and popular instrument of modern Greek music as well as other Balkan folk music, especially of Serbia, Herzegovina, and Bosnia. Very similar to a mandolin (as far as tuning, shape, and sound), it is a member of the lute family, traced back even to stories in mythology. In ancient Greece, the instrument was known as the “pandouris” or “pandourion” and for many years it was an integral part of the folk movement in Greece. Turkey also incorporated the bouzouki into its culture of music. It was known to them as the Turkish Tanbur, which was practically identical to the ancient Greek pandouris. Throughout the Middle East the bouzoukia were “Trichordo” bouzoukia, meaning each had six strings in three pairs (contrary to the common bouzouki today which has eight strings in four pairs), which fit very well with the music of the Middle Eastern countries. By the 1950’s Ireland became a dominant supporter of the bouzouki, and before long it was incorporated into Ireland’s traditional and folk music. The primary job of the bouzouki was to maintain the rhythm and countermelodies of the songs. However, today the bouzouki is seen as more of an interesting lead instrument, and tends to be much more versatile. During the late 1960’s throughout the 1970’s professional musicians began traveling to Ireland more frequently to study the art of traditional Irish folk music. It was here they were introduced to the bouzouki for the first time, and in the latter part of the decade they brought back with them the bouzouki. In the early 90’s Tim O’Brien (famous bluegrass/folk legend) began incorporating the recording the bouzouki with his music, and from this other bluegrass and folk icons embarked on their involvement with the bouzouki. Today the bouzouki is sometimes considered an outsider to the world of bluegrass, but year-by-year it is becoming more and more popular.
Shelton, Robert,_The Face of Folk Music_(New York: The Citadel Press, 1968), 22-247.
Neil V. Rosenberg, "From sound to Style: The Emergence of Bluegrass,"_The Journal of the American Folklore_80 (April-June 1967): 143-150.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bouzouki