The mandolin is one of the most popular musical instruments in the world. It is a short necked, small lute with 8 strings. In simple terms, a lute is an instrument that makes sound by simply vibrating the strings. The Mandolin is considered to be a descendant of the lute. In fact, it is considered to be one of the earliest musical instruments known to mankind.
The Early Beginning
In France, cave painting led people to believe that mandolin reaches back to around 15,000-8,50 B.C. At the time, it was used as a one stringed instrument. A bow was used to play the sounds. This instrument is considered to be the first stringed instrument man ever invented. Strings were plucked with fingers, and tapped with a stick. Holding the bow in the mouth would raise the volume. Later, people attached gourds to the bow. These acted as resonators.
In 2,000 B.C, lute like chordophones appeared in Mesopotamia. It was easy to make changes in pitch by simply pressing the strings on the neck of the instrument. Sometimes, these strings were plucked with plectrums or hard objects. They produced sharper, louder sounds than fingers.
In the 7th Century AD, people used a lute called the Oud. In the near east, including Egypt and Armenia, the Oud is still used. The Oud reached Spain during the Moorish battle. It made its way through to Venice with coastal trade, and reached Europe through the Crusaders.
The Mandolin Today
In the modern age, the mandolin continues to be a vital and popular instrument. With the Nashville sound, the mandolin came back in the 1960s and 70s. Similarly, the layered vocals and Syrupy strings gave a powerful feel to the Neo Traditionalist movement in the 1980s. The mandolin even made an impact in rock music. For years, it has been consistently growing on popularity.
According to experts in the music industry, there has been a resurgence of tremendous interest in classical mandolin. Most young artists have been recording popular albums with classical mandolin music. Recently, a mandolin orchestra made its 70th annual appearance in New York City. Beautiful tablecloths with logo suited the delightful music played with mandolins.