July 3, 2017
NEAPOLITAN AND BLUEGRASS MANDOLIN
Hello, dear friends! My name is Elena. Today we would like to talk about an ancient and unique stringed instrument – the mandolin. As you may know, stringed musical instruments such as the guitar, ukulele, mandolin, and banjo have been becoming more and more popular in recent years.
Nowadays, the mandolin is often associated with colorful Italian melodies with a trembling effect called “tremolo.” However, in reality, this unique instrument has a wider geographical spread, and it is used in a variety of musical genres. Even the most celebrated violinmaker in history, Antonio Stradivari, made mandolins!
The mandolin is a versatile instrument; you can hear its magnificent solo performance as often as you hear it playing in various ensembles and orchestras. Nowadays the popularity of the mandolin is increasing in all types of music. There are many classical mandolin orchestras in Italy, Germany, and Japan. The mandolin is also famous in such musical genres as country, jazz, and bluegrass, which are specific to the United States, Great Britain, and Ireland.
Not everyone knows that the modern mandolin instrument has four strings tuned to G, D, A, and E, like the violin. The two strings in each course are tuned in unison.
Let us look at the varieties of the instrument. Broadly speaking, there are three main types of mandolin:
Neapolitan mandolin – a classic Italian style mandolin with a round back. It was one of the first types of mandolin ever used. It is typically a professionally handmade instrument with a deep and flowing sound, which is used in classical, baroque and renaissance music. You can often see them in mandolin orchestras.
Flat mandolin – in the XX century in the United States, Orville Gibson created a new, flat kind of mandolin. This type is the most popular and most often used today. There are two basic models of flat mandolin:
A-Type or teardrop-shaped mandolin. You will find the A model in popular classical, folk, and Celtic music, and even on the stage with rock stars. By the way, the A styles are generally cheaper than the F styles.
The Florentine or F style has a decorative scroll near the neck and two points on the lower body. This style is usually preferred for playing American bluegrass and country music.
In conclusion, you can ask yourself: “What type of mandolin do I want to play?” and choose the one that suits your taste! Of course, it is worth noting that it is much easier to learn to play the instrument under a professional musician’s guidance. Therefore, we’d like to remind you that online lessons are the best and easiest opportunity to achieve your dream.
Thanks for reading this article. I look forward to seeing you in the lesson! Elena
No comments found!