Support

Irish Bouzouki Chords

Something broken, confusing, or just worth saying? A shape that doesn't sit under your fingers, a chord or a tuning you expected to find? Email support@bendigogames.com and you will get a reply. It helps to include your device model and OS version, your instrument and tuning, and the page you were on.

Common questions

How do I change the tuning? Tap the tuning button at the top of any page (it reads “Bouzouki · GDAD” to start with), or open Settings. There are GDAD, GDAE, ADAD, GDGD and Greek CFAD for the bouzouki, GDAE for the mandolin, and Custom, where you pick each course’s note yourself. Every shape is worked out again for the tuning you choose.

My bouzouki has octave strings on the low courses. In Settings, set each course to Unison or Octave. Octave adds the note an octave up to the sound when you tap a box; it never changes the shapes or which note is lowest.

How do I use the tuner? Open Tuner, tap Start tuner and allow the microphone. Play one string at a time: the tuner names which course of your tuning it is and shows how far off it is. For an octave pair, rest a finger on one string while you tune the other. Tap a string button to hear its pitch. A = 440 Hz can be moved with − and +. Sound is analysed on your device and never recorded.

Can I use a capo? Yes. Pick the capo’s fret in Settings. Shapes and fret numbers are then counted from the capo, and chord names say what sounds. Key pages suggest a capo when the open courses would clash with the key: capo 2 plays A major with G major shapes, every open course still in the key.

I play left-handed. Turn on Left-handed in Settings and every chord box is mirrored, low course on the right.

Why does a shape say “no 3rd” or D/A? “No 3rd” means the shape leaves the third out, which is common in trad backing because it then fits a tune in major or minor. A slash, as in D/A, means a note other than the root is lowest: D with A in the bass.

There is no sound. Check that Sound is on in the app’s Settings, and that your volume is up. On iPhone the app plays even with the silent switch on, like other music apps. In a browser, tap a chord box once first: browsers start sound only after a tap.

My settings or recent chords disappeared. They are stored on the device only, so deleting and reinstalling the app (or clearing this site’s data, for the web app) clears them. There is no account to restore from.

Does it need an internet connection? No. Every shape is worked out on your device. The web app needs a connection the first time it loads; after that it works offline too.

Can I put the web app on my home screen? Yes. Open the web app, then use your browser’s Share or menu button and choose Add to Home Screen.

Is there an iPhone app? Yes, free on the App Store. The web app is the whole app too, free, in any browser.

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Last updated: 6 November 2026