Are Octave Mandolins used for Italian folk music?

[NicoSvetza]

I hear them associated with celtic music often, but I was wondering if they are used in Italian folk music also, or is the only mandolin used for Italian music the bowl back Mandolin? I am very interested in folk music, especially Italian folk music and I wish to learn more. Thanks!

[mrmando]

Italians would call it a mandola, or perhaps an octave mandola. It's the ancestor of the mandolin ("mandolino" just means "little mandola"). You'll find it being used in mandolin ensembles and orchestras for certain, along with mandolin-family instruments of several other sizes and tunings. I'm not sure what you mean by "Italian folk music," but whatever it is, I doubt it has any hard and fast rules on instrumentation.

[Bertram Henze]

Any size available. Take your pick...

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[Steve L]

They weren't used in "Celtic" music until they were. You could be the Italian Johnny Moynihan! :)

[Bertram Henze]

They weren't used in "Celtic" music until they were. You could be the Italian Johnny Moynihan! :)

This would be much more of a pioneering work here. Irish music has always been absorbing new instruments, while Italian is more conservative, or so I thought. OTOH, the OM is kind of an Italian child (the mandolin) grown up and returning home :grin: