bouzouki

instrumentsboo-ZOO-keefrom Greek

A long-necked, round-bodied Greek stringed instrument with metal strings, central to rebetiko and mo‌‍‌‍‍‍‌‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‍‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‍‌‌‌‍‌‍dern Greek popular music.

In Depth

The bouzouki is a plucked string instrument with a pear-shaped body and a long neck, descended from Byzantine and Ottoman long-necked lutes.‌‍‌‍‍‍‌‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‍‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‍‌‌‌‍‌‍ The traditional trichordo (three-course) bouzouki has six strings in three pairs, while the modern tetrachordo (four-course) has eight strings in four pairs. It is played with a plectrum and is capable of both rapid melodic runs and rhythmic strumming. The bouzouki became the defining instrument of rebetiko, the Greek urban folk music of the early 20th century, often called the "Greek blues." Manolis Chiotis popularized the four-course version in the 1950s. In the 1960s, Dónal Lunny and Andy Irvine introduced a modified flat-backed version into Irish traditional music, where it has become an established accompaniment instrument. The Greek and Irish bouzoukis are now considered distinct instruments.

Did you know?

The bouzouki crossed from Greece to Ireland in the 1960s and became so integral to Irish music that many listeners assume it has always been an Irish instrument.

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