How the bouzouki makes its sound
In the Hornbostel–Sachs system, which classifies instruments by how they produce sound, the bouzouki belongs to the lutes: strings run parallel to a soundboard and along a neck – the family of the guitar, violin, sitar and oud.
More broadly it is one of the chordophones (string instruments), where sound comes from vibrating strings, amplified by a resonating body.
Its timbre – the colour that lets you tell it apart from other instruments playing the same note – comes from the mix of overtones its body and resonator emphasise.
From Wikipedia
The bouzouki is a musical instrument popular in Greece.
It is a member of the long-necked lute family, with a round body and a long neck with a fretted fingerboard. It has steel strings and is played with a plectrum, producing a sharp metallic sound, reminiscent of a mandolin but pitched lower. It is the precursor to the Irish bouzouki, an instrument derived from the Greek bouzouki that is popular in Celtic, English, and North American folk music. Instruments similar to the bouzouki (like buzuq and Balkan tambura) are also common in West Asia (Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Cyprus), Balkans and Turkey.
Other lutes
Frequently asked questions
What does a bouzouki sound like?
As one of the lutes, its sound comes from the way strings run parallel to a soundboard and along a neck.
What type of instrument is the bouzouki?
It is classified as lutes (Hornbostel–Sachs 321.321).