The evolution of the mandolin didn't stop there. I'll be playing my Fender 4 string electric Mandocaster, strung with Thomastik round wound strings, through a "Champ", at church all this month for the planned reoccurring song "I'll Fly Away". There is a lot of player-driven innovation behind that combination,... and to great effect. 5ths tuning is my favorite. Now, if I could only convince Fender to add a Tenorcaster (also a Mandolacaster and Mandocellocater) to their lineup.....
You are not the first person to tell me that I have left out a whole bunch of North American evolution. And indeed there's plenty to say there, but then it would not be a short history. There is some confusion among players or flat-backed and Neapolitan mandolins about whether they are indeed mandolins, so I'll make a little note here for other readers to help to clear up the differences and classification issues. It was my intention to confine my remarks to the confines of the lute, and the flat-backed mandolin of NA isn't really included in that because in the narrow definitions I learned in my musicology/organolory classes the flat-backed version is actually, technically a cittern and has a completely different evolution. It begins the in the pre-1500s period and through the wire strung instruments of the English sixteenth century, later into Sweden and Germany and Carl Bellman, and finally it crossed the pond with the Pilgrims and Puritans and became a folk instrument played in the Appalachian region. The lute backed version of the mandolin is usually described as "Neapolitan" and the word "mandolin" means "little instrument shaped like and almond". It was actually made in large numbers in Manhattan and Brooklyn by numerous Italian immigrants beginning in the early 20th Century along with accordions, guitars and pump organs which were popular until the middle fifties, and sold in many NY City music stores. I saw many of these American-made Neapolitan mandolins made from oak, maple and other North American hardwoods. Sometimes they were heavily decorated with abalone, shell, bone, ivory and other things that make the very distinctive. F-hole flat-backed mandos often picked up this decorative impulse and had shell and bone inlays, to make the look more "Italian". The F-holes and the distinctive curl are pure late 19th century neo-Gothic elements found also in furniture and buildings of the period which Americans often refer to, rather puzzling, as "Victorian". The main constant shared by both instruments is the violin tuning. Both instruments are used by Celtic and Bluegrass bands, Rock bands, Country artists and others. There's a whole new class of instruments which have come into this area with "mando-cellos" and "Irish Bouzouki". It's getting very hard to keep it all straight! Thanks for your interesting comment and giving me the opportunity to talk about his fascinating continuation of the history of a really popular instrument. Still!!!
@ As a musician and someone, who appreciates fine lutherie, I really enjoyed your video. Even a short history is volumes more than I have found so far before. I am a big fan of early music. Bach is my favorite. But I love how, in music, the old can become new again.
Hi Zahran, interesting comment! In terms of classical organology, mostly established by author Curt Sachs in the early 20th C., the banjo is classed as a "cittern", and has a flat back, is descended from a different with many models over centuries. The lute is round-backed to imitate the turtle, which is its defining character, its animal spirit. Both types are depicted in ancient pictographic sources, in Ur, Egypt and the Fertile Crescent.
Not one mention of geographic location, any of the people who made larger ribs, flattened backs, and lack to talk about how the mandolin was standardized for the western ear, including Gibson, changing the creativeness of the back to resemble the violin.. Otherwise amazing great information. Love your workshop. Also, your channel is really cool.
Well, I did say it was a short history :) and it was my intention to emphasize the lute as the ancestor of the Vinacci style of Neapolitan mandolin. Technically speaking, the change of American mandolins to f-hole and carved tops and backs qualify them as citterns, a completely different tradition of instrument making that extends back to the medieval and through the Jacobean and Tudor periods. Thanks very much for your comment; I'm glad you like the channel because we've been working very hard on it.
Why does the mandolin have double-strings instead of a single set of strings? Asked another way, why does the mandolin have eight strings instead of just four double-strings?
The stringing is taken from the mandore and the chitarra battente, combining the two but taking the Italian tuning of the violin because so many people played it. The double strings are better suited to a pick and each string needs only half as much tension. The two strings give something called a combination tone which is a special acoustical effect.
@@EarlyMusicStudio1 Interesting! Thank you for explaining. I'd love go back in time to see how they figured this out, how the conversation or thought process developed.
I see gourds as an imitation of the turtle shell. Dried gourds survive well; for example, there are many sitars in the world. Glad you like the video and thanks for your comment.
Hi Daniel, Thanks for this question! Vivaldi would have used an earlier mandolin typical of Venice - the kind of instrument in this video is a Neapolitan mandolin from the 1820's. Vivaldi's mandolin had a more rounded shape, but still the same violin tuning. There are some videos elsewhere on UA-cam.
Thanks for your comment. We agree, music is the purpose of our work. Sometimes viewers are interested in the instruments too, so we provide a variety of material. You might enjoy the mandolin in this video; ua-cam.com/video/PtFg64qKls8/v-deo.html
no se que posee el mandolin desde niño le encontré mas atención que a la guitarra e incluso tengo uno y no imagine que hasta mis abuelo y generaciones atras tambien les gustaba.
Hi Justin, thanks for your comment. Both the lute and guitar families (round-backed and flat-backed) have been around at least 5,000 years, reaching back to the ancient world. They may have originally come from Africa (Egypt) and co-existed in Asia, coming to Europe in the 9th or 10th centuries.
No way in the world are you correct in your history. The Hebrews had numerous stringed musical instruments dating back to 1,050 BC and there were instruments before that time also.
Hi Jim, thanks for your comment. Which statement are you referring to? In the video I said that the instrument had been around for 10 to 12 thousand years. These early examples were indeed widespread although this folk instrument, gembrae, is from northern Africa. Do you also have an early lute? Thanks for watching!
![Lp. Сердце Вселенной #60 РОЖДЕНИЕ ЛОЛОЛОШКИ [Финал] • Майнкрафт](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YoR0pAV9FVQ/mqdefault.jpg)
The evolution of the mandolin didn't stop there.
I'll be playing my Fender 4 string electric Mandocaster, strung with Thomastik round wound strings, through a "Champ", at church all this month for the planned reoccurring song "I'll Fly Away".
There is a lot of player-driven innovation behind that combination,... and to great effect.
5ths tuning is my favorite.
Now, if I could only convince Fender to add a Tenorcaster (also a Mandolacaster and Mandocellocater) to their lineup.....
You are not the first person to tell me that I have left out a whole bunch of North American evolution. And indeed there's plenty to say there, but then it would not be a short history.
There is some confusion among players or flat-backed and Neapolitan mandolins about whether they are indeed mandolins, so I'll make a little note here for other readers to help to clear up the differences and classification issues.
It was my intention to confine my remarks to the confines of the lute, and the flat-backed mandolin of NA isn't really included in that because in the narrow definitions I learned in my musicology/organolory classes the flat-backed version is actually, technically a cittern and has a completely different evolution. It begins the in the pre-1500s period and through the wire strung instruments of the English sixteenth century, later into Sweden and Germany and Carl Bellman, and finally it crossed the pond with the Pilgrims and Puritans and became a folk instrument played in the Appalachian region.
The lute backed version of the mandolin is usually described as "Neapolitan" and the word "mandolin" means "little instrument shaped like and almond". It was actually made in large numbers in Manhattan and Brooklyn by numerous Italian immigrants beginning in the early 20th Century along with accordions, guitars and pump organs which were popular until the middle fifties, and sold in many NY City music stores. I saw many of these American-made Neapolitan mandolins made from oak, maple and other North American hardwoods. Sometimes they were heavily decorated with abalone, shell, bone, ivory and other things that make the very distinctive.
F-hole flat-backed mandos often picked up this decorative impulse and had shell and bone inlays, to make the look more "Italian". The F-holes and the distinctive curl are pure late 19th century neo-Gothic elements found also in furniture and buildings of the period which Americans often refer to, rather puzzling, as "Victorian". The main constant shared by both instruments is the violin tuning. Both instruments are used by Celtic and Bluegrass bands, Rock bands, Country artists and others. There's a whole new class of instruments which have come into this area with "mando-cellos" and "Irish Bouzouki". It's getting very hard to keep it all straight!
Thanks for your interesting comment and giving me the opportunity to talk about his fascinating continuation of the history of a really popular instrument. Still!!!
@ As a musician and someone, who appreciates fine lutherie, I really enjoyed your video. Even a short history is volumes more than I have found so far before.
I am a big fan of early music. Bach is my favorite.
But I love how, in music, the old can become new again.
Beautiful instruments - nicely explained, thank you for sharing this!
The turtleshell lute has a stretched skin for a soundboard, so it's also technically the first banjo!
Hi Zahran, interesting comment! In terms of classical organology, mostly established by author Curt Sachs in the early 20th C., the banjo is classed as a "cittern", and has a flat back, is descended from a different with many models over centuries. The lute is round-backed to imitate the turtle, which is its defining character, its animal spirit. Both types are depicted in ancient pictographic sources, in Ur, Egypt and the Fertile Crescent.
No it ain’t. Chinese have been doing that with their string instruments for hundreds of years prior.
Not one mention of geographic location, any of the people who made larger ribs, flattened backs, and lack to talk about how the mandolin was standardized for the western ear, including Gibson, changing the creativeness of the back to resemble the violin..
Otherwise amazing great information. Love your workshop. Also, your channel is really cool.
Well, I did say it was a short history :) and it was my intention to emphasize the lute as the ancestor of the Vinacci style of Neapolitan mandolin. Technically speaking, the change of American mandolins to f-hole and carved tops and backs qualify them as citterns, a completely different tradition of instrument making that extends back to the medieval and through the Jacobean and Tudor periods. Thanks very much for your comment; I'm glad you like the channel because we've been working very hard on it.
@@EarlyMusicStudio1 it is a hard to please all the people all the time.. lol…I enjoy your channel!! Thanks for being you!!!
You only need a oud to fill the gap between the lute and the prehistoric instrument. I think than you'd have the full collection.
Interesting!
Great video! Thank you :)
Glad you liked it, and thanks for watching!
Why does the mandolin have double-strings instead of a single set of strings? Asked another way, why does the mandolin have eight strings instead of just four double-strings?
The stringing is taken from the mandore and the chitarra battente, combining the two but taking the Italian tuning of the violin because so many people played it. The double strings are better suited to a pick and each string needs only half as much tension. The two strings give something called a combination tone which is a special acoustical effect.
@@EarlyMusicStudio1 Interesting! Thank you for explaining. I'd love go back in time to see how they figured this out, how the conversation or thought process developed.
Could gourd based instruments be another orgin, if they existed they have likely rotted away. Thanks for the video.
I see gourds as an imitation of the turtle shell. Dried gourds survive well; for example, there are many sitars in the world. Glad you like the video and thanks for your comment.
@@EarlyMusicStudio1sitars are actually a relatively new instruments so there would be no ancient ones to find.
Which instrument was used by Vivaldi?
Hi Daniel, Thanks for this question! Vivaldi would have used an earlier mandolin typical of Venice - the kind of instrument in this video is a Neapolitan mandolin from the 1820's. Vivaldi's mandolin had a more rounded shape, but still the same violin tuning. There are some videos elsewhere on UA-cam.
No ! The luth "al Oud" comes from indian then persian instruments featuring squash back instruments.
Thank you. Next time play more. It's all about the music!😊
Thanks for your comment. We agree, music is the purpose of our work. Sometimes viewers are interested in the instruments too, so we provide a variety of material. You might enjoy the mandolin in this video; ua-cam.com/video/PtFg64qKls8/v-deo.html
no se que posee el mandolin desde niño le encontré
mas atención que a la guitarra e incluso tengo uno y no imagine que hasta mis abuelo y generaciones atras tambien les gustaba.
I was just remarking with my mom how I wondered how the mandolin came about. I suppose it was to make a sound different from guitar.
Hi Justin, thanks for your comment. Both the lute and guitar families (round-backed and flat-backed) have been around at least 5,000 years, reaching back to the ancient world. They may have originally come from Africa (Egypt) and co-existed in Asia, coming to Europe in the 9th or 10th centuries.
No way in the world are you correct in your history. The Hebrews had numerous stringed musical instruments dating back to 1,050 BC and there were instruments before that time also.
Hi Jim, thanks for your comment. Which statement are you referring to? In the video I said that the instrument had been around for 10 to 12 thousand years. These early examples were indeed widespread although this folk instrument, gembrae, is from northern Africa. Do you also have an early lute? Thanks for watching!