Mandolin Cafe Message Board FAQ
Techniques
Mandolin Types
- History
- The common sizes of a mandolin
- Soundhole Profiles
- Mandolin profiles
- The common types of mandolin construction
Picks, Strings, Equipment, etc.
Mandolin Parts
- What are the general parts of a mandolin? (opens images in window)
Mandolin Accessories
Glossary
Tuning
The mandolin is tuned from high (the smallest string) to low (the thickest): EE - AA - DD - GG. There are of course some alternate tunings used in various styles of music but we won't cover them here. How do you know you have the right octave? If you are an octave too low the strings will literally be flapping. If you try to tune an octave too high the strings will almost certainly break first.
There is a brief article on how to get in tune at this page.
Mandolin Types
History
The roots of the word "mandolin" are derived from the Italian for "little almond." Written reference to mandolin ancestors with similar name extend to the end of the 16th century. Over the course of time, there have been a great many decidedly different instruments, string configurations, and tunings to carry the name. Many have been single strung but most have been strung in double courses, each of a pair of strings ordinarily being tuned to the same pitch. The earliest incarnations of the modern instrument appeared in Naples, Italy when violin tuning was hybridized with lute-like construction in the first half of the 18th century. If the Vinaccia family did not invent the instrument, they were certainly instrumental in its development and remained so into the early 20th century. On this new instrument, mostly metal strings (at that time brass harpsichord wire, silver-wound silk, and gut) were passed over an unattached bridge and fixed to hitch pins in the tailblock. The top was slightly bent ("canted") behind the bridge to further increase tension on the instrument's top and brighten tone.
Today, the family name is most commonly applied to plucked chordophones of varying sizes, usually with strings passing over an unattached bridge to some kind of tailpiece at the butt of the instrument, and usually tuned in fifths; in the interest of brevity, I will confine myself to these instruments and the grossest practical generalizations of their types. Keep in mind that in discussing the resultant tone of any configuration below, we are again reduced to generalization and there are as many exceptions as there are rules.
The common sizes of mandolin
- Mandolin: This is the most common size. It is tuned identically to the violin: low to high g, d', a', e".
- Mandola: In the US, this term is usually applied to an instrument tuned one fifth below the mandolin, analogous to the viola: c, g, d', a'. Europeans would refer to an instrument of this size as tenor mandola. Occasionally, an instrument will be made with an added fifth course at high e" to provide a kind of mandolin/mandola hybrid.
- Octave mandolin: This size is usually referred to as mandola in Europe. It is tuned one octave below a mandolin: G, d, a, e'.
- Mandocello or mandoloncello: This is analogous to the cello and tuned one octave below the tenor mandola: C, G, d, a. There is an interesting form of 5-course mandocello designed for solo repertoire by the addition of a high e' course; it is named liuto or liuto moderno.
- Mandobass: This size usually has four unpaired strings and is plucked with the fingers. It is stood on the floor by means of a spike and played upright. It is tuned in fourths because its string length makes the reaches generated by tuning in fifths impractical: EE, AA, D, G.
- Celtic "cittern" and "bouzouki": The use of these terms in Irish and Scottish music seldom refer to true citterns or bouzoukis, but to mandolin family instruments, often of approximately octave-mandolin size. The application of these terms to mandolins is still variable; the most common uses may be citterns are 5-course and bouzoukis are 4-course instruments. Tuning varies widely.
Soundhole profiles
- Oval: Single, central oval or round holes are often said to produce a "sweet" tone with a rich set of high harmonics. They are generally thought to be more versatile for playing across different musical genres. Oval-holed mandolins can be right at home playing folk, country, jazz, classical and many other types of music.
- F holes: Paired F-hole tone is often described as a "bark" with a strong focus on the principal tone. F-holed mandolins are employed in many musical genres, but dominate in bluegrass. The quintessential bluegrass mandolin is f-holed and arched and its tone provides the bassy, rhythmic drive of the "chop" chord to the music.
Mandolin profiles
In the US, it has become traditional to categorize all mandolins by their profile, "A" or "F". This nomenclature stems entirely from the pioneering efforts of one manufacturing entity, Gibson, and has little to do with construction or tone. Still, these may be the two most widely used mandolin style designations today, at least in the United States. Before we get into a detailed discussion about mandolin construction, let's look at some generalizations of these two profiles.
A-style mandolins: This designation has been used to describe any mandolin roughly oval or teardrop in shape, possibly with points or occasionally with a guitar-like waist. The designation "A" can be applied to any mandolin construction style. Arched A-style mandolins tend to be less expensive than arched F styles. The decorative "scroll" found on the F-style mandolins is more labor intensive to construct than the mostly symmetrical body of the A. Some feel this allows the prospective buyer of a mandolin to get more functionality for his or her money. Beginners like them for this reason also.
F-style ("Florentine") mandolins: This designation applies almost exclusively to arched or rarely to flat instruments. F-style generally describes an instrument sporting a curlicue ("scroll"), lobe, or prominent horn on the bass side of the body near the neck joint. The classic Gibson style, the one most frequently emulated, features a scroll on the bass side of the body and two points on the treble side; very early Gibson F styles also had a point at the base of the scroll. Because well-made F-style mandolins with carved scrolls tend to be more expensive, they are generally less popular with beginners and more casual enthusiasts.
The common types of mandolin construction
- Bowlback: "'Tater bug" is sometimes used, but is usually avoided by folks who actually like bowlbacks; the term originated as a Gibson smear campaign that endeavored to crush competition from the likes of Lyon & Healy by equating traditional mandolins of the time to the potato beetle, a pre-pesticide, rural-American nuisance. The back is comprised of several (typically ca. 9-50) strips or "ribs" of hardwood formed to shape a deep bowl, usually with a canted top, and almost exclusively with a single oval-shaped soundhole. This is the closest to ancestral forms and preferred by many classical musicians. Their tone is often described as bright and complex with a rich set of overtones. This type is sometimes subdivided. Neapolitan (in reference to its place of origin) is the most common style and that emulated almost exclusively by late 19th through early 20th century American builders. Makers of note include Vinaccia, Calace, Martin (styles 000 through 7), Vega, various Larson Bros. brands, various Lyon & Healy brands (especially Washburn), Bohmann, Weymann, Dan Larson, etc. The Roman style is typified by a narrow, radiused fingerboard and by "shoulders" at the neck-body joint being narrower than typical Neapolitans. Roman style mandolins were pioneered by Embergher and those by him and his students remain amongst the highest quality and most valuable. Modern German bowlbacks have a very broad soundboard and a resultantly deeper tone. They also often have a circular soundhole. Some German builders making bowlbacks are Knorr, Seiffert, Dietrich, Albert & Mueller, etc.
- Flat: The backs of these will be made of a flat plate of hardwood. Some builders incorporate a barely perceptible catenary arch into the back plate to increase stability. Most pre-depression models will have canted tops and an oval soundhole. Many modern ones will be entirely flat and usually have an oval-shaped or circular hole (a few are f-holed). Their tone is often described as bright and sometimes sweet. They produce a clear melody line, well suited to playing to the accompaniment of other instruments. They're good generalists, excellent beginner's instruments, and are still favored by many folkies and old-timey players. Some jazz players prefer flat mandolins in the shape of Selmer or Selmer-Maccaferri guitars. There are also many ethnic variants. A few well-known builders to build flat mandolins are/were Martin (styles A through E), Vega, various Larson Bros. brands, various Lyon & Healy brands, Weymann, Gibson (e.g., the Army-Navy), Flatiron (their early "pancakes"), Weber, Mid Missouri, etc.
- Arched (to borrow guitar nomenclature): These are the Gibson A and F styles and their myriad imitators and emulators referred to above; the Lyon & Healy flagship A, B, and C models; Martin models 15 through 30 (oval-holed) and 2-15 through 2-30 (f-holed); etc. Gibson continues to manufacture arched mandolins at every level of quality. Other modern builders of quality include Gilchrist, Monteleone, Collings, Weber, Phoenix, Rigel, Breedlove, etc. Arched tone could be described as focused. Mandolins of this type will usually incorporate an obvious arch in both top and back plates. Arches can be carved into the plates or steamed and pressed. Carving plates is labor intensive and expensive, but the resultant stacking of grain run-out makes for a more rigid top and better structural stability. Pressing the arch of the top plate will produce a softer tone; such a top is also more likely to collapse with age in harsh environs. With hindsight, Orville Gibson's efforts in the late 19th century to move mandolin construction a little further from the lute family and closer to the violin can be considered nothing less than revolutionary. His vision has become the archetype of the American concept of mandolin. Late in 1922, Gibson acoustic engineer Lloyd Loar brought the design a little closer to the violin by incorporating paired f-holes to either side the bridge. Both oval-holed and f-holed instruments are now common. As mentioned earlier, F-holed, arched mandolins dominate bluegrass and have advocates in jazz and classical music as well. Oval-holed instruments of this category are also favored by many folkies and old-timey players as well as some classical players (especially in the US). Jazz players also often play arched mandolins, sometimes built in the shape of classic archtop guitars. Many vintage mandocellos (e.g., Martin's) were built on archtop guitar bodies.
- Unique designs: There have been several pioneering efforts to improve mandolin construction. These are often cherished by collectors and players, but never became established as standard construction techniques. These include Vega "lute-" (i.e., cylinderback) mandolins, Howe-Orme mandolinettos, Gelas double tops, etc.
- Hybrids: There have been many efforts to make mandolins more broadly accessible by attracting other instrumentalist. Mandolins have been hybridized with all manner of other instruments. Some of these could be categorized as guitar-like (flat tops with strings fixed to an immovable bridge like Ovations or Crafters), solid-bodied or semi-hollow electric mandolins (those that need amplification for practical use like little electric guitars), banjo-mandolins, National-/Dobro-like resonators, etc.
What do the Gibson model numbers stand for?
This information originally appeared on CoMando.
A - ovoid mandolins
B - banjo - also RB - resonator banjo
C - classical guitar
E - electric instruments ES= electric Spanish guitar
F - florentine mandolins
G - guitar (steel string)
H - mandola
J - jumbo guitar
K - mandocello
L - guitars
J = mandobass
O= (orchestra?) guitar
U = harp guitar
TL = tenor lute (4 or 8 string tenor neck on f- hole pear shaped mandola body)
RB - Regular (5-string) banjo
MB- mandolin banjo
TB = tenor banjo
PB= plectrum banjo
CB = cello banjo
UB = ukulele banjo
J = jumbo guitar
C=classical guitar
B = guitar (B-25)
TG= tenor guitar
EB= electric bass guitar
EH = electric hawaiian guitar
ES = Electric Spanish guitar
What's the age and model of my Gibson?
The system (since 1997) is read as - Last digit of Y,MM, DD, mandolin produced that day, first digit of year.
What kind of pick should I use?
There are three major characteristics of picks that work together to determine what they sound like when applied to mandolin strings: point shape, thickness, and the material they're made from.
Rounded points tend to produce a darker tone than sharp ones, and also make it easier to get a good smooth tremolo (see glossary). But rounded points can be a bit more difficult to use in terms of accuracy. Many beginning players prefer to start with a sharper point, which makes it easier to "aim" at the correct course of strings.
Thicker picks also tend to produce a darker tone than thinner ones, but they can be more difficult to hang onto. There's a common misconception that you can play faster with a really thin pick, but that's just not true. At high speeds, an overly flexible pick won't have returned to a straight position before its time to hit the next note. But thin picks are very nice for strummed rhythm work.
The type of plastic (usually) that a pick is made out of has a couple of different properties that affect tone. First is flexibility, which is pretty much parallel to the effect of thickness. Then there's the "graininess" of the material. Delrin, for example, is a very smooth, almost greasy feeling plastic which produces a fairly dark tone. Other pick materials that have more "tooth" will produce brighter tonality.
These three factors work together (or against each other) to produce a final result. Some very thick picks will sound brighter than thinner ones, either due to their point shape or the material they're made from, or both.
Another factor in pick choice is the overall size. Larger picks take less "clenching" to hold onto when playing hard, but there are plenty of advocates on both sides of the issue of whether a larger or smaller pick gives you more control.
Bear in mind that pick choice is only one of the many contributing factors to overall tone. The perfect pick for a given situation of instrument, string set, and musical style may fail miserably if you change any of those other elements. If you play different kinds of music or own more than one mandolin, you'll probably have more than one "favorite" pick. If you have a pickup in your mandolin, you may also find yourself preferring different picks for plugged-in vs. acoustic.
So what's a newbie to do? Experiment! Picks are the cheapest of all mandolin accessories, so get an assortment and try them all out. Most music stores will be happy to let you try before you buy -- but bring your own mando, since that's the only one that counts. If you run into another player who's using a pick you haven't tried yet, ask them if you can borrow it for a couple of tunes. The final judgement lies in your own hands and ears: the best picks for you are the ones that feel comfortable and produce the tones you want to hear from your own instruments.
Mandolin Accessories
What is a metronome and how is it used?
- A metronome is a practice aid that sounds or displays beats at the tempo it is set to. There are two basic types: mechanical and electronic. Most music accessory stores and online vendors carry a wide selection.
- Traditionalists often prefer mechanical metronomes. They are built much like an old-fashioned clock. They are powered by a wound mainspring and their main moving part is a notched metal bar with a movable counterweight. The user winds the mainspring, sets counterweight to the notch in the bar corresponding to the desired tempo and starts the bar swinging. Then, powered by the mainspring mechanism, the bar swings back and forth at the tempo set, while the mechanism sounds the beats in a "tick-tock" fashion. Wittner is one of the main brands and they are very good.
- Electronic metronomes accomplish the same thing, only using flashing lights and electronic beeps to sound the beats. They are generally smaller and less expensive than the mechanical units and they may also be offered in combination with other functionality, such as metronome/tuner combinations. Seiko, Korg and Matrix are some of the big brand names, but there are others. There is also an online metronome available.
- Uses: People use metronomes to help them keep tempo when practicing. If playing from sheet music, a musician might set the metronome at the tempo indicated on the sheet music to insure that he is practicing at the tempo the composer intended. Metronomes are also useful for practicing rhythm and for improving speed. A player may set the metronome at a comfortably slow tempo when first learning a piece of music and then step up the pace incrementally to force himself to gain speed.
What is the purpose of an arm rest? Do a lot of people use them? Where can you get them?
- An arm rest is a mandolin accessory that is generally placed on the rim of the top, on the bass side of the strings roughly even with, or just behind, the bridge. It provides a place for the player to rest their forearm, without touching the rim or the top. Use of arm rests are purely personal preference. Those that use them feel they may have the following advantages:
- Improves tone by keeping the forearm from dampening the vibrations of the top.
- Protects the finish from sweat and skin oils where the forearm would have contacted the top. This is especially true in hot, humid playing situations and it is especially critical with high-end varnish finishes.
- Keeps the rim from uncomfortably digging into the forearm while playing
- Major suppliers of arm rests include:
- Siren String Works
- King Brown
- Weber (Weber's armrest is integral with a tailpiece, not stand-alone.)
- John Pearse (these are mostly for guitars, but they claim their "Junior" model with fit mandos.
- Some custom builders will make arm rests for their creations, at customer request.
Does anyone use a capo on a mandolin? What are the brands and models?
- A capo is a device that clamps the strings down on a particular fret, to aid in transposing music on a fretted instrument. Guitarists use them all the time. Some mando players frown on capos, just because they have traditionally not been used on the instrument. They are more common on the longer mandolin family instruments, such as octaves, bouzoukis and citterns. But there is no reason you cannot use a capo on a mandolin and many people do.
- For a mandolin with a flat fretboard, any capos designed for a banjo will generally work and they are generally available a most music stores. The major brands are: Shubb, Kyser and Dunlop, although there are many others.
What are harmonic suppressors? Where can I get them and how can I get them?
- Most mandolins have some degree of a phenomenon of "parasitic" or "sympathetic" vibration, where the length of strings between the bridge and the tailpiece, and to a lesser degree, the length of strings between the nut and the tuners, will vibrate at its own tone when the main area of the strings is played. On most mandolins, the effect is so minimal that it is of no concern. But on some instruments, this can cause clearly audible tones that may be in conflict with the music being played. It can also theoretically lessen the sustain of played notes. These are the problems that harmonic suppressors are designed to deal with.
- A harmonic suppressor is any material that dampens vibration on the non-payed areas of the strings. People use rawhide strips, foam rubber, felt, electrician's grommets and even duct tape and all have the same effect, although there certainly are differences in appearance and convenience that are purely personal preference.
- Some that are commercially marketed are:
- Weber Wood Nymph
- Steve's Silencers (often found on the Mandolin Cafe Classifieds)
- Any electronic supply store, including Radio Shack - ask for electrician's rubber or vinyl grommets. Radio Shack sells a bag of assorted sizes for $1.99. You can pick out the 1/4" ones to use as suppressors and either save the rest for some other use or throw them away.
- Any hobby or leather store should carry leather laces and/or yarn that can be "woven" through the strings.
Glossary
Bridge: If you're speaking of a mandolin the bridge is the structural component where the strings rest near the area where the notes would be plucked with the pick. See this diagram.
A "bridge" within a piece of music refers to the part between the A sections. In jazz a typical form is A-A-B-A. The B part would be the bridge.
Chop chord: A percussive chord that's typically dampened on the two and four beat on a 4/4 song or the two and three beats on a 3/4 song. The phrase was coined in bluegrass but shows up in other styles of music such as old-time, country or other forms as unique as David Grisman's jazz/bluegrass hybrid music called "Dawg" music. There are as many forms of chop stylings as their are chords, but the emphasis on the two and four beats is a consistent common element that's seen within about any bluegrass form. Three common chord forms are shown below (moveable shapes used in many keys):
Four note chord forms are popular for chop chords because after striking the chord the entire sound can be dampened by letting up slightly with the left hand. Stopping the tone just after the strike creates the "chop".
MAS (Mandolin Acquisition Syndrome): A tongue-in-cheek reference made originally on the CoMando listserv that stuck and has become a common term used within the web community. It refers to one's desire to continually own more mandolins, almost to the point of being a medical condition.
Radiused Fingerboard: A fingerboard or fretboard the has a slight outward arc (side to side, not lengthwise) as opposed to a flat fingerboard. For American-made mandolins this is still a relatively new feature when you consider the historical age of our instrument.
What is a Virzi?: The Virzi Tone Producer is a thin (perhaps 3/32"), oval piece of wood (straight-grained spruce or fir) which is mounted inside the body cavity of a mandolin (or mandowhatever, or guitar, or violin), suspended directly below the bridge and attached to the top of the instrument by a pair of 'feet'. Dangling there, it provides a secondary vibrating surface which adds a new dimension to the sound dynamics inside the instrument's sound chamber.
It is thought to make the sound response more complex and mellow. It was principally used on violins prior to Lloyd Loar's employment with Gibson; Loar brought the idea and the rights to use it with him, and it started appearing on some Gibson instruments in 1922.
Remembering that the instruments of the time were designed to be played primarily by soloists and members of mandolin orchestras, the mellowness was probably a good idea and seemed to have been well accepted. Bluegrass musicians as a rule tend not to like the Virzi instruments as the tradeoff for mellow sound is a loss of volume; thus, the Virzis in many '20s mandolins have been removed.
