Could someone explain?

[Grasser54]

Hi folks,

This may be a stupid question and has probably been gone over before. But can someone give me a brief explanation
of the differences between the mandolin, mandola, and the
octave mandolin? I know they are tuned differently. Are there different fingerings for all three, and how do they
sound different to each other? I seem to remember seeing
Johnny Gimble playing a mandola with Ray Benson on a Homespun DVD on Western Swing guitar. Nice, mellower sound,
IIRC. If someone could satisfy my morbid curiosity, I'd
appreciate it.

Grasser

[Jim Broyles]

Mandolin (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandolin)
Mandola (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandola)
Octave Mandolin (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octave_mandolin)

They are related to each other in what is called the "mandolin family" of instruments. These article give you a basic idea of what each is and how they are tuned.

[MikeEdgerton]

Check out the Cafe Glossary (http://www.mandolincafe.com/glossary/) for more information.

You'll find that the Chord shapes are the same but since they are tuned differently the same shape in the same positions won't produce the same chord.

A few weeks ago I was happily playing an Eastman mandola (for the first time) at a bluegrass festival. I had no idea what key I was playing in and honestly it felt like I was playing a telephone pole. That is no reflection on the Eastman, any mandola would feel the same to me.

[Eugene]

There is also the old "mandolin types" section I wrote for the FAQ (http://www.mandolincafe.com/archives/faq.html#mandolintypes) a few years ago. I would do some things differently now, but there it is.

[JeffD]

I have had this on my wall for a million and a half years. If its of any help to anyone, great. Let me know if you want the larger file copy of the 8.5 X 11 original.

[jmcgann]

Watch out for the Wikipedia!

An octave below a mandola is not "octave mandola"- an octave below mandola is mandocello. They call GDAE an octave below mandolin an "octave mandola" in Europe, and it's musically incorrect, (http://www.johnmcgann.com/OM.html) regardless of the fact that it's a commonly used term there.

To me, "Octave Mandola" for a GDAE instrument is wrong and defies logic, because it is not an octave below mandola (CGDA) tuning and has nothing to do with a modern mandola. The instrument tuned an octave below the mandolin is, logically, an octave mandolin. The instrument tuned an octave below the mandola is a mandocello, just as the instrument tuned an octave below the viola is a cello.

The octave mando is the "missing link" between viola and cello, and has no common bowed counterpart other than Darol Anger's octave fiddle he calls (or called) a 'violectra'.

[JeffD]

Watch out for the Wikipedia!

An octave below a mandola is not "octave mandola"- an octave below mandola is mandocello. They call GDAE an octave below mandolin an "octave mandola" in Europe, and it's musically incorrect, (http://www.johnmcgann.com/OM.html) regardless of the fact that it's a commonly used term there.

To me, "Octave Mandola" for a GDAE instrument is wrong and defies logic, because it is not an octave below mandola (CGDA) tuning and has nothing to do with a modern mandola. The instrument tuned an octave below the mandolin is, logically, an octave mandolin. The instrument tuned an octave below the mandola is a mandocello, just as the instrument tuned an octave below the viola is a cello.

The octave mando is the "missing link" between viola and cello, and has no common bowed counterpart other than Darol Anger's octave fiddle he calls (or called) a 'violectra'.
Well said!

[Jim Garber]

An octave below a mandola is not "octave mandola"- an octave below mandola is mandocello. They call GDAE an octave below mandolin an "octave mandola" in Europe, and it's musically incorrect, (http://www.johnmcgann.com/OM.html) regardless of the fact that it's a commonly used term there.
Actually, I don't think the Europeans call the GDAE instrument an octave mandola. I believe they simply call it a mandola and tune it GDAE one octave below the mandolin. What we call a tenor mandola is called a mandoliola over there.

Take a look at this glossary entry by the very-knowledgeable Eugene Braig (http://www.mandolincafe.com/glossary/glossary_76.shtml):


mandolin: g-d'-a'-e"
mandola/mandoliola: c-g-d'-a'
octave mandolin/mandola (in Europe): G-d-a-e'
mando-cello/mandoloncello: C-G-d-a
bass/mando-bass: EE-AA-D-G
guitar: E-A-d-g-b-e'

Yes this is all confusing, but at least we on either side of the oceans understand our co-players (I hope).