160. THE PANDURI-TAMBOURAS-BOUZOUKI 3m-3M-4-5-4 TUNING OF THE 6-STRING GUITAR AND OUD

THE PANDURI-TAMBOURAS-BOUZOUKI 6-string GUITAR AND OUD TUNING:

This is a very efficient tuning of a 6-string guitar,which combines an open D major (or minor ) panduri on the lower 3 strings in other words D2-F2#-A2 (or D2-F2-A2)  , a 3-string tampoura on the 4th,3rd-2nd  strings in other words A2-D3-A3, and a 3-string bouzouki on the 1st 2nd and 3rd string in other words D3-A3-D3 .In other words over all the 6-string tuning is 

D2-F2#-A2-D3-A3-D4  (or D2-F2-A2-D3-A3-D4 ) which is also an open D major tuning (or open D minor tuning). 

The chords are played by triads on the 3 lower strings only (as in Zither where the strings for accompanying chords are separte from the strings for solo) , and are easy as the need only 1 or 2 frets. The 3 or 4 higher strings are used for the isocratic melody playing wich is accompanyind by an intervalof 5,as it is usual in 3-string Bouzouki and tambouras

If the guitar is child's guitar of scale length 55-58.5 cm then the previous tuning can be raised to the (with standard guitar strings) 

G2-B2-D3-G3-D4-G4  (or G2-Bb2-D3-G3-D4-G4 ) which is also an open G major tuning (or open G minor tuning) which is very sweet in listening. 



Notice also  that the tuning of the 4-courses Irish Bouzouki is a tuning of a 3-courses tampouras (G2G2-D3D3-A3A3) and a 3-courses bouzouki D3D3-A3A3-D4D4. In total 

G2G2-D3D3-A3A3-D4D4. 

An inverse order of the combination of the composing instruments will give the tuning 

D2-A2-D3-F3-A3-C4 Which is a Bouzouki at D2-A2-D3 and two panduri at D3-F3-A3 and at F3-A3-C4. The advantage is that the 4-strings D3-F3-A3-C4 allow for two rows of normal forms major-minor chords for accompanying at higher range.

The above tunings  are also applicable to the 6-courses oud too.