The bouzouki has been used in Greek music since ancient times. In the 1960s, Johnny Moynihan started using the bouzouki to play Irish traditional music and it soon became clear that its light, sustained sound and widely tuned strings made it an ideal accompaniment instrument. It soon found a niche that had previously been filled somewhat less successfully by the piano and guitar.
Irish musicians soon began modifying the traditional Greek instrument, replacing the rounded back with a flat back — similar to the flat-backed mandolins that were already popular in Ireland — and taking on a fourth pair of strings (the Greek version often has only three), The new Irish version is generally considered to be a separate instrument. It is commonly tuned GDAD, although some players use ADAD or even GDAE (the same as a fiddle or mandolin).
Influential players such as Andy Irvine and Dónal Lunnyhelped popularise the Irish bouzouki.
In the last decade, the modified instrument has been adopted by many other traditions, and is becoming more popular among European, Australian and North American musicians.
Irish Bouzouki players featured in The Pure Drop:
