Hi

[ericcoleman]

I've been very quiet lately. Being happy will do that to you I suppose.

Lizzie and I are doing wonderfully. There is much laughter and music in our house.

On that, I have a new toy. I bought a bouzouki! Most of the new songs have been written on it, most I could play on guitar, but they wouldn't sound the same. Add the Cuatro and it will be Eric's Odd Instruments onstage at Duckon.

So, how is life with you? Does anyone read this anymore?

Comments

[blackpaladin.livejournal.com]

Yes, some of us are still here and refuse to forsake the LiveJournal. :-)

[tigertoy.livejournal.com]

Yes, I do still read this. Life's as it has been -- generally good day to day but completely unsustainable in the long term.

So, those recently posted songs, that I thought sounded like bouzouki, but decided was probably an odd tuning and maybe miking on an acoustic guitar, because you're known for playing acoustic guitars in odd tunings, really are a zook?

[ericcoleman]

It is indeed a bouzouki. World Walker is on the cuatro, which is essentially a 10 string guitar. The other three are all on the bouzouki. I'll bring it to Duck, since it's a bit part of the set now.

[ericcoleman]

Oh, the link sends you to the Elderly page. I have that model, only it's got a black finish, not the natural.

[fleetfootmike.livejournal.com]

Likewise ;)

And, mmmm, zouk! for added fun, try tuning it GDAD, rther than GDAE. You get fun drones with that...

[ericcoleman]

I will at some point, just because that is the sort of thing I do.

[libra-dragon.livejournal.com]

I still read...
don't seem to posting as much as life is getting in the way and whatnot but still hanging around

[awfulhorrid.livejournal.com]

Do you see yourself working in a cheese shop anytime soon?

[ericcoleman]

I would like to remind you that YOU are the one who lives in WI, not I.

[lemmozine.livejournal.com]

If it's tuned like a mandolin, but an octave low, I would argue it's an octave mandolin and not a bouzouki. So, GDAE is octave mandolin tuning. Bouzouki tuning varies (google bouzouki tuning) depending on whether you're Greek or Irish and what mood you're in. Same instrument, different tunings. I tune my cuatro the same as my cittern (doubled GDGDG) and I call it my baby cittern.

In my collection I have an octave mandolin, a 10-string cittern, and a cuatro. Other 10 stringed instruments: charango, tiple. If you get a chance, get your hands on a Martin tiple. They're cool.

[ericcoleman]

I own two cuatros, one is generally tuned ADGAD, the other BEADG.

The bouzouki is a Trinity College Irish Bouzouki. I will swap tunings around as needed. So far I am playing it in Mando tuning, but I want to use others as well. If I end up with several tunings, I may end up with two Bouzoukis. I want a Tiple, it may be next on my list of instruments I buy. I played one when I bought my 2nd cuatro and liked it a lot.

[ericcoleman]

And, in one sentence you say the tuning defines the instrument, and the next you say Same instrument, different tunings.

Confused ...

[tigertoy.livejournal.com]

As far as I've been able to figure out the difference between an "Irish bouzouki" and an "octave mandolin" is what the person holding the instrument wants to call it, which usually has more to do with the musical tradition they're following than the physical instrument.

[lemmozine.livejournal.com]

Here is some more information. Apparently what defines the instruments, according to this, is the scale length. I'm not 100% sure I agree with that.

http://www.ceolas.org/instruments/cittern.html

It's sort of like, a banjo is a banjo, right? Except that there are 3 different types of 4 string banjo that are common (banjo-uke, tenor and plectrum) all with different tunings and scales, there are 2 different types of 5-string banjo (the standard and the Pete Seeger style long-neck), the 6 string guitar banjo, the 8-string banjo-mandolin which can also be strung with 2 sets of ukulele strings and played as a taropach, and a 12-string fretless banjo common in Turkey called a cumbus.

When I got my cittern, it was tuned G D G D G, and so far I've found no reason to change that.

If you want to hear some great Irish bouzouki playing, you should check out Beth Patterson. She plays instruments of 8 and 10 strings, both in Irish bouzouki tuning. Once when I offered to let her try my new guitar she said, "Thanks anyway, but I'm guitarded."

[billroper]

Still here. :)

And life is -- chaotic...

[sexybass.livejournal.com]

Glad to hear you are both doing well and look forward to seeing you both at MuseCon. Oh and I love Bazouki's. I have two citterns which are kind of like a bazouki on steroids or as the Irish call them "Blarge" for bazouki large. I always read your blogs by the way!

[tlunquist.livejournal.com]

Ack.

[peteralway.livejournal.com]

I never read livejournal anymore, except, maybe once or twice a day, just to catch up on my friends' page, leave comments and sometimes post.

[lemmozine.livejournal.com]

The problem with LJ as opposed to Facebook is it's missing the "Like" button, which at least gives a clue that there are people paying attention.

I wanted to hit the "like" button on this comment. Can't. Too bad.

[ericcoleman]

Simple

[petdance.livejournal.com]

I read it.

[janeg.livejournal.com]

I'm still here too, but mostly lurking because work has been crazy. See you in August!

[valydiarosada.livejournal.com]

I shouldn't be reading this. I should be having an early night, as I have to get up tomorrow at extra specially stupid o'clock to catch a train to Brussels, and from there catch another train to Germany for DFDF.

My good friend and fellow Trifler the_magician has a bouzouki. It's nice.

G'night!

[happyfunpaul.livejournal.com]

Still here. :-)