MANDOLIN

A mandolin is a small, stringed musical instrument which is plucked, strummed or a combination of both. It is descended from the mandora and has eight metal strings in four pairs that are plucked with a plectrum. The most common tuning for the mandolin is in fifths, the same as for the violin though guitarists may occasionally tune a mandolin to mimic a portion of the intervals on a standard guitar tuning to achieve familiar fretting patterns.Mandolins evolved from the lute family in Italy during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, and the deep bowled mandolin produced particularly in Naples became a common type in the nineteenth century. The original instrument was the mandola (mandorla is "almond" in Italian, describing the instrument's body shape) and evolved in the fifteenth century from the lute. A later, smaller mandola was developed and became known as a mandolina.Mandolin is often used in Indian film music and there are many songs which are exclusive mandolin renditions. The mesmerising sound of Mandolin adds to the charm of the songs. Adoption of the mandolin in Carnatic music is recent and, being essentially a very small electric guitar, the instrument itself bears rather small resemblance to European and American mandolins. U. Srinivas has, over the last couple of decades, made his version of the mandolin very popular in India and abroad. Many adaptations of the instrument have been done to cater to the special needs of Indian Carnatic music. Mandolin can be played in a sitting or a standing posture. If compared to violin, it is an easier instrument to learn. Students learn mandolin for classical renditons as well as for light music. While some learn it for fun, some learn it to make their hobby a profession.