Irish bouzouki chord chart
Free GDAD chord diagrams for bouzouki. Start with G, D and C, then try the minor, seventh and suspended shapes below. Read each diagram from low G on the left to high D on the right.
Find chords by keyCheck your tuning
Eight chords to start with
A circle means an open string. A dot marks a fret. An × means leave that string silent.
Sevenths and suspensions
Used sparingly. A seventh at the end of a part pulls the tune back round to the top.
Which chords go with which key
Use these as starting choices. Follow the melody, keep changes simple, and listen for notes that clash.
| Key or mode | Core chords | Turnarounds |
|---|---|---|
| G major | G, C, Em | Am, D, D7 |
| D major | D, G, Bm | Em, A7 |
| E dorian | Em, D, G | C, Bm, A |
| A dorian | Am, G, C | F, Em, D |
| D mixolydian | D, C, Am | Bm |
| A mixolydian | A, G, Em | D |
| D minor | Dm, Am, C | Bb, F |
Each key above links to its scale: the notes those chords are built from, as tab in first position, on the irish bouzouki (gdad) scales page.
Questions
Start with these eight: G, D, A, C, Em, Am, Bm, Dm. Try G, D and C for tunes in G, then add chords to suit each melody.
The four vertical lines are the strings, low G on the left through to high D on the right, as you see them looking down at the instrument. The thick bar at the top is the nut. A filled dot is a finger, a hollow circle above the nut means play that string open, and a cross means do not sound that string.
The strings and intervals differ, so guitar chord shapes do not transfer directly. These diagrams use GDAD, with the fret numbers calculated for each string. GDAE is tuned in fifths; GDAD has a fourth between its top two courses.
E dorian uses E, F#, G, A, B, C# and D. Em and D are useful starting chords. Listen to the melody before adding changes: a chord outside the mode can clash with a note the player is holding.