Greek/ Bouzouki scales?

I went to a greek cultural festival the other night and found myself getting really interested in the scales and progressions of greek folk music.
Does anyone know of online resources or lessons that would help me adapt some of this theory to guitar? Thanks!

In general and very simplified terms ...
Greek music uses a lot of the standard western scales. Sometimes starting on a different degree i.e., Harmonic minor but starting on the 4th or 5th.
Try this : http://www.treelight.com/music/greek/scales.html

Yep, Ken's right.

Be ready to play in different times too, that's a big part of it. 4/4 is not the only time signature played over there...lots of odd numbered meters...

Yeah, keep the back-beat on 7 and 13 and you'll be swingin'!

A scale found frequently in Balkan music (Greek, Serbian, Macedonian, Bulgarian) is sometimes refered to as the Gypsy scale. In A major it is: A, Bb, C#, D, E, F, G. I have seen jazz players refer to it as Phrygian Dominant. I think I am saying the same thing as Ken.

Odd meters are very common; 7, 9, 11, 15 and even more exotic time signatures.

A scale found frequently in Balkan music (Greek, Serbian, Macedonian, Bulgarian) is sometimes referred to as the Gypsy scale. In A major it is: A, Bb, C#, D, E, F, G. I have seen jazz players refer to it as Phrygian Dominant. I think I am saying the same thing as Ken.


Yes. Many will call it A phrygian, natural or raised 3rd (a phryg scale already has a b7 in it - which can sometimes be confusing).
Or, D harmonic minor starting on an 'A' note.

*But as many of us have articulated here over and over again, while the structure may be a harm. min. scale starting on a different scale degree the sound of the scale needs to be heard or thought of from A to A. In this context it's an A scale, not a D scale.

I love that stuff. It feels very natural to me.

I guess I have my work cut out for me!
Thanks!

also they tend to play along the strings rather than in position

It looks like the most popular greek scales use the flat 9, at least to work toward the tonic.
Are there any other typical moves I should be paying attention to?

I am Greek so I know a few things about bouzouki..:mrgreen:

First of all the scales linked are correct but they are NOT Greek scales they are simply SOME of the arabic MAKAMS ("ways") Greek music (rebetika & laika) use. (the Arabs & the Turks use even more).

To play most of the popular rebetika and laika songs you will be fine with the flg. makams:

-ARMONIC MINOR
-MAJOR
-MINOR
-OUSAK (very important)
-HITZAZ (very important)
-SABAH

here is a link to a pdf (in Greek but from page 3 and on you can simply see ALL the scales used and the notes they use)

http://blogs.sch.gr/babistms/files/2012/01/Thewria-kai-praksi-dromoi.pdf

"Δρόμος" means "scale"
"Βασικη συγχ." means "main chord" over which the scale can be used
"Άλλες συγχορδίες" means "other chords" over which the scale can be used


If you want to hear how a GUITAR sounds when these scales are used than you should definitely listen to this GOD

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVh7Gzdvg7A

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5s_Kxbl1xg&feature=related

of course listening to the great bouzouki MONSTERS won't do you any harm also..(GOOGLE : MANOLIS HIOTIS,LEMONIDIS,ZAFEIRIOU,PALAIOLOGOS with the word "bouzouki" )

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5u2Q2P_J8k

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1V3PIorSm0Q

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEwdBQAAMCE&feature=related

Nick - Thanks for the links. Great stuff.

You are welcome Leon!

Can you give us a one album recommendation for Omar Khorshid?

http://www.omarkhorshid.org/discography.htm

the tribute to Oum Koulsoum and all the Belly Dance albums are killer .

I was hoping you'd see this Nick.
Thanks for chiming in and thanks for the cool links!

*sorry for my unclear scales link. It was the best I could find with my limited knowledge of what they're actually called.

http://www.omarkhorshid.org/discography.htm

the tribute to Oum Koulsoum and all the Belly Dance albums are killer .

Oh, Boy! Thanks.

Hi Nick. It looks like HITZAZ is the gypsy scale that I listed. Very improtant in Serbian music too.

Fantastic stuff! Thank you!

Hi Nick. It looks like HITZAZ is the gypsy scale that I listed. Very improtant in Serbian music too.

Exactly.The whole Balkan region uses the same scales ,the local & traditional music is pretty similar too...:wink:

Thank you, Nick!

/ Tony