Irish bouzouki tuningGDAD, GDAE and ADAD, course by course

An Irish bouzouki has four courses, each a pair of strings played together. Tune both strings of a course to its note, low course first. The tuner in the Irish Bouzouki Chords app knows the courses of each tuning, and it’s free in your browser.

Which tuning?

Start with GDAD unless your teacher or book uses another: it’s the most common, and every tutor book starts there. Pick GDAE if you already play mandolin or fiddle. ADAD suits players who live in D and A tunes.

Octave or unison strings?

On many Irish bouzoukis the G and D courses are strung in octaves, with the second string an octave higher (G2 with G3, D3 with D4). Unison courses are common too, especially since Dónal Lunny. Either way the chord shapes are the same; only the sound changes. The app has a setting for each course.

The tunings, note by note

Irish bouzouki: GDAD chords ›

G2 · D3 · A3 · D4 (low course to high)

The most common Irish bouzouki tuning, first in every source, and the one the tutor books use (Landes, Cabot’s Chord Bible, Ó Callanáin & Walsh). The open D and A courses drone under tunes in D and G.

Irish bouzouki: GDAE chords ›

G2 · D3 · A3 · E4 (low course to high)

The mandolin’s tuning an octave down, in fifths like the fiddle, so mandolin and fiddle fingerings carry straight over. It’s the octave mandolin’s tuning too (in the UK and Europe often called the octave mandola).

Irish bouzouki: ADAD chords ›

A2 · D3 · A3 · D4 (low course to high)

A D-drone tuning: the low A and the two D courses ring under tunes in D and A. The usual runner-up to GDAD, with GDAE.

Irish bouzouki: GDGD

G2 · D3 · G3 · D4 (low course to high)

An open G tuning.

Irish bouzouki: Greek CFAD

C3 + C4 · F3 + F4 · A3 · D4 (low course to high)

The four-course Greek bouzouki’s tuning, with octave pairs on the two bass courses: a different tradition, in the app for players who have one.

Mandolin: GDAE chords ›

G3 · D4 · A4 · E5 (low course to high)

Tuned in fifths like the fiddle, an octave above GDAE bouzouki. Both strings of each course are in unison.

All chord charts · Open the tuner · The Irish Bouzouki Chords app