Greek Folk Music: An Anthology of Tunes — Volume 1

This first volume inaugurates a series devoted to the rich and diverse world of Greek folk music — a carefully curated selection of traditional tunes drawn from various regions of Greece, including areas now outside modern Greek borders, transcribed with the aim of balancing scholarly accuracy with practical usability.

The 22 tunes collected here span the Peloponnese, the Aegean and Ionian islands, Thrace, Leros, Lesbos, Kimolos, Rhodes, Zakynthos, Corfu, and beyond — including areas of Asia Minor and Constantinople that shaped Greek musical culture across centuries. The regional breadth is deliberate: Greek folk music is not a single repertoire but a living mosaic of local traditions, each with its own character, instruments, and modal identity, and this anthology aims to reflect that diversity from the outset.

Each transcription is prepared to serve both performers and researchers. Dual notation — modal and equal-tempered — means the collection is usable on any instrument, microtonal or not. Accompaniment chords are included where appropriate, and every tune is paired with a QR code for direct listening.

What the book contains

• 22 traditional tunes from across Greece and its historical territories, including: Argitikos (Peloponnese), Ta xila (Lesbos), Mazemenos (Lesbos), Lerikos (Leros), Mantilatos (Orestiada), Tatavlianos sirtos (Constantinople), To stiadi (Kimolos), Baintouska (Megali Doxipara), Chalai (Ak Dag Maten), Skopos tou Prasinou (Paros), Sirba Lerou (Leros), Foties (Erythrae Peninsula), Fourlana (Corfu), Tenedios (Lesbos), Mantilatos (East Thrace), Geranos (Zakynthos), Roditikos pidichtos (Rhodes), Pousnitsa (Almopia), Chasapiko & Sirba (Constantinople), Megaritikos karsilamas (Megara), Ni ke dre (Amorgos), Karsilamas (Asia Minor)
• Dual notation throughout: modal and equal-tempered, to accommodate all instruments
• Accompaniment chords where appropriate
• QR codes for every tune — listen directly from the page on any smartphone or tablet

Who this book is for

Musicians who play Greek or Eastern Mediterranean instruments — laouto, bouzouki, guitar, oud, mandolin, tzouras, or any melodic instrument — will find a practical, ready-to-use repertoire collection connected directly to the dromi and makam system.

Researchers and ethnomusicologists will value the regional range: the 22 tunes span the Peloponnese, the Aegean and Ionian islands, Thrace, Asia Minor, and Constantinople — a deliberately broad sweep that reflects the diversity of the Greek musical tradition rather than collapsing it into a single regional style.

Teachers in Greek music, world music, or Eastern Mediterranean studies will find the transcriptions clear, well-documented, and immediately usable in lessons and workshops. The dual notation makes the collection accessible on any instrument, fretted or otherwise.

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