A Brief Glimpse Into the History of the Mandolin

Music for the Holidays from Strings Attached

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During the ten years from 1790 to 1800, when he was between twenty and thirty years of age Beethoven spent a considerable time with this eight stringed instrument in the family of the lute. In 1795, he wrote two compositions for it with keyboard accompaniment. Mozart wrote a solo for this instrument in his opera Don Giovani.

With a lineage reaching back to the earliest musical instruments, the mandolin is a type of “lute,” an instrument that’s plucked or strummed or you could say it was a type of chordophone. After the lute, came the mandore (in French) or the mandora or mandolo (in Italian) in the 13^th century. And from the mandore came the mandolin. Its beautiful tones are created by the vibration of the eight metal strings or, four double courses or pairs of strings. This modern version of the mandolin originated from Naples, Italy in the late 18^th century. Earlier versions had twelve strings or, six double courses made of gut.

Many variants on the mandolin have come about since its existence; perhaps the most peculiar being the banjo-mandolin. Unlike other larger stringed instruments and those played with a bow, notes heard on the mandolin decay quickly to silence rather than sound out continuously like a violin. This is where the use of tremolo comes in. This is when the musician rapidly picks one or more strings to create a sustained note or chords. Listen for an example of Karen Mal demonstrating tremolo from the album A Mandolin Christmas.