Greek bouzouki tuner
The Greek bouzouki of rebetiko and laïká has steel strings in double courses. The modern four-course tetrachordo (eight strings) is tuned C–F–A–D: C3+C4, F3+F4, A3+A3 and D4+D4. The older three-course trichordo (six strings) is tuned D–A–D: D3+D4, A3+A3 and D4+D4. Pick the preset that matches the number of courses on your instrument.
Open-string notes and frequencies
Greek bouzouki, tetrachordo and trichordo. Equal-tempered frequencies at A4 = 440 Hz; the live targets follow the selected A reference.
| String / course | Sounding note | Frequency (Hz) |
|---|---|---|
| Tetrachordo · course 4 (C) | C3 + C4 | 130.81 + 261.63 |
| Tetrachordo · course 3 (F) | F3 + F4 | 174.61 + 349.23 |
| Tetrachordo · course 2 (A) | A3 | 220.00 |
| Tetrachordo · course 1 (D) | D4 | 293.66 |
| Trichordo · course 3 (D) | D3 + D4 | 146.83 + 293.66 |
| Trichordo · course 2 (A) | A3 | 220.00 |
| Trichordo · course 1 (D) | D4 | 293.66 |
How to use it
- Choose Tetrachordo for eight strings in four courses, or Trichordo for six strings in three courses.
- Tap a course to hear its target, then mute the partner string with a fingertip and pick the other one alone.
- On an octave course, tune the wound string first (C3, F3 or D3), then its thin partner exactly one octave higher.
- Tune both strings of the A and D unison courses separately, then play each pair together and listen for the beating to stop.
Help and explanations
Only the low courses are octave pairs: a wound string, the bourgana, with a thin string an octave higher. The two high courses, the kantinia, are unison pairs. The frets give ordinary equal-tempered semitones with no quarter tones, so a chromatic reference at A4 = 440 Hz fits. The Irish bouzouki, usually tuned GDAD, has its own tuner.
Octave courses: same letter, different octave
On the tetrachordo, the thin string of the F course sounds F4, about 349.23 Hz. That is the highest open string on the instrument, above the D4 of the first course. If you strike the whole F course at once, the display may show F4 instead of F3. The same can happen on the C course (C3 and C4) and on the low D course of a trichordo (D3 and D4). Always read the octave number as well as the note name.
Sources disagree on which side of the pair the thin string sits, and builders string it both ways. Identify each string by its gauge rather than its position. A wound string pulled up an octave, or a thin string left an octave low, shows the right letter with the wrong number, and the thin one can snap. Approach every note from below: the high strings are light and the scale is long.
Trichordo, tetrachordo and other tunings
The trichordo is the original rebetiko bouzouki and is still built and played. Manolis Chiotis popularised the fourth course in the mid-1950s; the first recording with it dates from 1956, and who built the first four-course instrument is still debated. The tetrachordo keeps the intervals of the top four guitar strings, a whole tone lower. Some players raise it to D–G–B–E; that is an alternative, not the Greek standard, and it needs strings made for the higher tension.
Until the interwar years, musicians retuned the trichordo to suit the mode of the song (the old douzenia), and early rebetiko recordings are not necessarily at A440. To play along with one, change the reference A instead of tuning each course by ear. The baglamas uses the trichordo layout one octave higher, and the laouto is tuned in fifths, so neither uses these tunings.
Tips
- On a trichordo, the thin string of the low D course matches the first course: both are D4.
- On a tetrachordo, C4 equals the A course stopped at the 3rd fret, and F4 equals the D course stopped at the 3rd fret.
- Go round all courses once more at the end: changing the tension of one pair slightly moves the others.
Frequently asked questions
What are the notes of a Greek bouzouki?
On the four-course tetrachordo: C3+C4, F3+F4, A3+A3 and D4+D4, from the top course (nearest your face) to the bottom one. On the three-course trichordo: D3+D4, A3+A3 and D4+D4.
Which bouzouki courses are tuned in octaves?
Only the low ones: C and F on the tetrachordo, the low D on the trichordo. The A and D courses are unison pairs.
Is the Greek bouzouki tuned like a guitar?
It has the intervals of the top four guitar strings (D G B E), but a whole tone lower: C F A D. Some players use D G B E with suitable strings, but C F A D is the standard.
Can I tune an Irish bouzouki here?
Use the Irish bouzouki tuner instead. That instrument is usually tuned G2 D3 A3 D4 (GDAD), with different string sets.