Mandolin is a stringed musical instrument which belongs to the Lute family of musical instruments. Mandolins normally have four pairs (course) of double metal strings – that is eight strings. There are five and six course string versions of Mandolins in use. Being a Plucked Instrument, it is usually plucked using a plectrum.
The tuning of a Mandolin is like that of a Violin, where its strings are tuned in an interval of “perfect fifths” – G3, D4, A4 and E5. Most common types of Mandolins are Neapolitan or Round-Backed, Archtop and Flat-Backed Mandolin.
Each style has its own sound quality and normally associated with a particular form of music. Neapolitan Mandolins are primarily used in European Classical Music. American Folk Music and Bluegrass Music use the Archtop Mandolins. Flat-Backed Mandolins are famous for British, Irish and Brazilian Folk Music.
Construction
Mandolins have a Soundboard (top) in different shape, normally round or teardrop-shaped. Soundboard will have one or more Sound Holes with round, oval or calligraphic F (f-hole) shape. The early Mandolins were having gut strings and used to play with fingers or quill. They were usually quiet ones. The modern Mandolins use metal strings. They exert more pressure on the soundboard than the gut strings and they are more louder than the old ones.
The Body of the Mandolin acts as a resonator, which is attached to a neck. The shape of the resonating body may be like a Bowl or a Box. The Bowl shaped ones are known as Necked Bowl Lutes and the Box shaped ones are known as Necked Box Lutes. There are mechanical tuning machines at the top of the neck. The Neck is either flat or with a slight curve and has the fingerboard with frets.
The strings start from the tuning machines and run through the neck and body (soundboard) passing over a floating bridge. The bridge is kept in contact with the soundboard by the downward pressure exerted by the strings.
Mandolins are available in classic (Acoustic) and Electric versions. In the electric versions, the sound is picked up by a electronic pickup and amplified by an amplifier. In the classic versions, the sound is produced by the vibration of air inside the resonator.
Let us have a look at basic Mandolin Lessons. Mandolin was used for the first time in the Indian Carnatic Music by the Late Sri. U Srinivas or commonly known as Mandolin Srinivas.
