Cool Tool - The Greek Bouzouki | Tom Strahle | Pro Guitar Secrets

[@nicolasmajendie1229]

No. 1 key to bouzouki sound - how you hold the pick. I see you're using the basic guitar position, between the thumb and side/tip of index finger. Which is great for guitar and other fret shredding. But to get the true bouzouki sound, hold the pick in a fist-like position - between the thumb and first knuckle with hand perpendicular to fret, and about 1 inch below sound hole. You'll hear the difference immediately, it's almost impossible not to. Now make sure your picking motion is strictly up and down in a straight line, with your hand turning at the wrist, not the whole forearm, and without balancing your wrist or arm anywhere on the body - keep it up in the air (little finger can ride on the top). Take a look at Hiotis, Tstitanis, Papadopoulos and you'll see what I mean. Takes some getting used - I played bouzouki for 20 years and couldn't understand why I didn't sound like a Greek. It ain't bouzouki unless you play it like a bouzouki (goes for Turkish saz, too)! Cheers!

[@dennishendrikx3228]

My very favorite sound. I married at Salamis, my wife is Greek. I danced Zeibekiko, like floating on air on this sound (To Zeibekiko Tis Evdokias) . It's hardcore in its own way.

[@alexandroskfs9794]

Ωραίος ο φίλος!

[@paulmeier7788]

New instrument day, how exciting!

[@hungariannerd8445]

beautiful bouzouki

[@davidsillars3181]

Looks lovely! Sounds great too. Good addition.

[@nixternal]

@philx1111 can probably teach you how to play. I love the sound of the Bouzouki. I was married to a greek (My Big Fat Greek Wedding is a true story, don't let them lie to you, at least here in Chicago & the DC area) so yia-yia always played Greek music.

[@ElGreco15]

MBFGW is nothing but lies. No Greek wedding is that small.

[@SirShtrumz]

Such a beautiful instrument

[@nikoinwinnipeg]

As one comment said what a haunting sound What can I say to you my friend the portion of the video where you play the bouzouki by the fireplace reminds me and makes me feel the pain of the genocide my family went through with the Turks. Thank you and I hope that I can have a copy of this song you recorded

[@pgroove163]

☦️

[@maxjosephson8352]

sounds great

[@TomStrahle]

Thanks Max!

[@bruceringrose7539]

Fun! Lovely instrument and great sound!!! Play on, Zorba Strahle! 🤩

[@denmarkball7728]

Nice piece, i am thinking about buying one. God bless

[@johnmitchelljr]

I'm halfway through your video so I don't know how it plays, but I can't get over how beautiful the wood grain is. I would be happy just to look at it. Thanks for your video.

[@FotisGN]

I'm greek and I'm telling you don't change the strings its just fine. Her we chose the wood and the strings before we even make it so it sounds like heaven

[@pepperjackey5899]

That is a beautiful instrument 🥰

[@igorristov4173]

The best Instrument :)

[@dennisgeorgatos3920]

you sound amazing keep up the good bouzouki music

[@bakokat6982]

That is nice! It looks really good.Please give us a tune when you get it settled in and I know you’ll have a tune soon. ❤️Bkitty

[@moogoomoogoo5990]

Nice

[@TomStrahle]

Thanks MooGoo!

[@JohnnyArtPavlou]

Sounds great. Your playing is lovely.

[@TomStrahle]

You are way too kind. Thanks!

[@aslanmonn86]

Never heard of this instrument. I probably heard it's sound in movies or something, but never heard the name. Nonetheless, sounds great! I'll have to get me one someday. God bless, see ya soon

[@TomStrahle]

I guarantee you have.

[@aslanmonn86]

@@TomStrahle I take your word :)

[@vdLeo-je6os]

The Legendary Bouzouki

[@grekori748]

Hi Tom, This Bouzouki looks good for beginners like me. And the price seems reasonable. Do you have the Website link of the store where you ordered this bouzouki? Thanks

[@LenachenUSA]

Looks beautiful and this sounds like a Chinese instrument such as Ruan, of course the structure is somewhat different. Very Greekish.

[@TomStrahle]

A ruan is on my list.

[@djh6970]

You have to go, you’ll love it 🇬🇷🇬🇷🇬🇷🇬🇷

[@kornaros96]

I may writing this little late, but Michael Paouris has a plethora of videos about this instrument.

[@hollosphere]

Wow, what a pretty instrument! And what a beautiful, haunting sound in that little bit of improv you included. Hope we get to hear more. p.s. What did you use to create the drone sound in the recording?

[@TomStrahle]

Spitfire Audio LABS is a free download and that was the Cellos. I have their BBC Orchestra too. That is no where close to free.

[@hollosphere]

@@TomStrahle Aaah, gotcha. I'll check out that Spitfire Audio download. And I have asked hubby to help me record some interesting drone sounds from his Roland keyboard, as well.

[@lurklingX]

right on, thanks for the vid! just saw these things over on thonmann's and came over to YT to see how they sound. hope it is a winner and not a wallhanger at $400! (geez, my acoustic was just under $500 and that feels like a sick blow to the wallet. i was in for $150-ish and had to up it substantially. still hurts. great guitar tho. no regrets on the selection.) but yeah i keep hoping to see some cheap but playable stuff about. makes experimentation easier : )

[@mrsheftalia1743]

What is the music at the 5:00 min mark? Sounds amazing. Also are we gonna see you play this soon?

[@TomStrahle]

Just something I improvised and recorded for this video. Thanks!

[@Antiochos-ur3qt]

@@TomStrahle Really? Wow, you must then know quite some more on Greek music. While this sounds Eastern Mediterranean in general (of which Greek music is part of anyway), what you played exactly is a very distinctive Greek piece and is what Greek musicians often refer to sometimes as "dromos", i.e. "road", "path". You can already understand in English the notion of a "path", it is supposed to be a "concept" which can act as a stand alone solo piece or can be later used to construct a song around it. This is how bouzouki players were often writing their songs. Needless to say "paths" are having this haunting sound, exactly like you played here.

[@samstamos427]

Πανεμορφη! Τώρα είναι η ώρα να παίξετε ρεμπέτικο!

[@TomStrahle]

Don't know what you are saying but I agree.

[@samstamos427]

@@TomStrahle Use Google translate. Copy the Greek, paste it into the left window, click detect language, and it will translate it for you! You'll see that it says " Beautiful! Now is the time to play rebetiko!" Rebetiko is a genre of Greek music worth looking into. In fact your track that you laid out was very "rebetiko-esque.." SS>

[@jakobkariou5710]

Could you sir please send the link for buying the exact same bouzouki

[@mixalizambetas3215]

Is it tuned properly DAFC !! Starting from the top (heighest/thinnest) string. It didn't sound right??

[@TomStrahle]

Yep. That's how I tuned it.

[@DepthWish]

Very cool! So it is like a guitar but missing strings 1 and 2 and tuned down a full step? Or is it like it is missing strings 5 and 6?

[@TomStrahle]

Missing the bottom (5&6) two strings.

[@saharh1038]

thanks for your video ! what was played at the intro ??

[@TomStrahle]

That was just something I recorded after filming the video to use as an intro.

[@klaudios626]

Nice! Bouzouki is a bit expensive 😆 Bought mine for 600€ and it's still not good enough. 😂😂 I see that you missing the pickup hole in the back🤔. Normally the pickup goes from the inside of the bouzouki. Nice interview, I'll wait for more🥺

[@johnlouis3873]

Greek bouzoukis come without pickup holes. Some Irish bouzoukis have them.

[@moogoomoogoo5990]

So do the Greeks and the Irish tune them the same?

[@TomStrahle]

No. My Irish is tuned GDAD and the Greek is tuned CFAD.

[@moogoomoogoo5990]

I have a Filipino bandurria which has a multitude of tuning options. I haven’t picked a favorite yet.

[@ElGreco15]

It's also different if you have a 3 vs 4 string bouzouki

[@dustindettloff7726]

I’m adopted from Greece and was wondering if you could get one for me

[@TomStrahle]

I think I got mine on Reverb.

[@mijit.859]

How can I play the Greek bouzouki on a six string guitar 🎸 !??? 😕

[@ElGreco15]

Check out some Greek channels actually. They seem to be able to

[@aokiaoki4238]

Play "Zeibekiko tis Eudokias"

[@kostasviglas4890]

ωραιος μπραβο παντως νομιζω πρεπει να γνωρισης τον Μιχαλη Παουρη θα βρεις βιντεο του στο you tube γεια σου φιλε

[@camaradiop3731]

Aero Chord & Bryan CHIBI Gaynor brought me here...

[@antonisantonakis2006]

ok thats a cheap made bouzouki you have to spend $2000,00 plus for good a bouzouki

[@TomStrahle]

It is. I would love to have a better one. I've already used this one on several game scores and film scores though.

[@maddisonnsw5745]

Weird guitar 🎸