Mandolin

A mandolin is a stringed musical instrument. The number and type of strings found on mandolins has varied over time and place. Today, the predominant configuration is that of the Neapolitan mandolin, with four courses of metal strings. Each pair of strings is tuned in unison, and are a fifth apart from adjacent pairs, giving an identical tuning to a violin (G-D-A-E low-to-high). Unlike a violin, the fingerboard of a mandolin is fretted and it is typically played with a flat pick (a plectrum).

Related Topics:
Musical instrument - Violin - Plectrum

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In Indian classical music and Indian light music, the mandolin is likely to be tuned to E-B-E-B. As there is no concept of absolute pitch in Indian Classical music, any convenient tuning maintaining the relative pitch between the strings to E-B-E-B can be used.

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Some guitarists tune a mandolin in fourths, the same as the bottom four guitar strings (E-A-D-G) or the top four guitar strings (D-G-B-E) allowing the same fingerings as a guitar.

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The mandolin was first built in early 18th century, and was descended from the mandora, a small lute used in the 16th century.

Related Topics:
18th century - Mandora - 16th century

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Like the guitar, the mandolin is a poorly sustaining instrument. A note cannot be maintained for an arbitrary time as with a violin.

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Its higher pitch makes this problem more severe than with the guitar, and as a result, use of tremolo (rapid picking on a single note) is sometimes used to emulate a sustained note. This technique works particularly well with a mandolin's paired strings, where in tremolo picking one of the pair is sounding while the other is being struck by the pick, giving a more continuous sound than a single coursed instrument can.

Related Topics:
Pitch - Tremolo

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