Music question

[George M. Middius[_4_]]

What's the name of that mini-guitar played by bluegrass performers?

[John Atkinson[_2_]]

On Aug 15, 2:30*pm, George M. Middius >
wrote:
> What's the name of that mini-guitar played by bluegrass performers?

Mandolin. Four course of 2 strings each, tuned in fifths (the same as
a violin).

John Atkinson
Editor, Stereophile

[George M. Middius[_4_]]

John Atkinson said:

> > What's the name of that mini-guitar played by bluegrass performers?
>
> Mandolin. Four course of 2 strings each, tuned in fifths (the same as
> a violin).

Thanks. (I lost the bet but so did the other person.)

[MiNe 109]

In article
>,
John Atkinson > wrote:

> On Aug 15, 2:30*pm, George M. Middius >
> wrote:
> > What's the name of that mini-guitar played by bluegrass performers?
>
> Mandolin. Four course of 2 strings each, tuned in fifths (the same as
> a violin).

Violinist Carrie Rodriguez splits the difference between guitar and
mandolin:

http://www.epiphone.com/news.asp?NewsID=634

Stephen

[John Atkinson[_2_]]

On Aug 15, 4:11*pm, MiNe 109 > wrote:
> In article
> >,
> *John Atkinson > wrote:
> > On Aug 15, 2:30*pm, George M. Middius >
> > wrote:
> > > What's the name of that mini-guitar played by bluegrass performers?
> >
> > Mandolin. Four course of 2 strings each, tuned in fifths (the same as
> > a violin).
>
> Violinist Carrie Rodriguez splits the difference between guitar and
> mandolin:
>
> http://www.epiphone.com/news.asp?NewsID=634

Don Fiorino, who plays guitars etc for Attention Screen, the
NY jazz group I have recorded for Stereophile, recently
bought one of these "Mandobirds" -- see
http://blog.stereophile.com/fsi2008/040608screen/

A strange little instrument indeed. If I remember
correctly, Don had it tuned to an open guitar tuning
but minus two strings and an octave higher.

John Atkinson
Editor, Stereophile

[Clyde Slick]

On 15 Aug, 14:30, George M. Middius > wrote:
> What's the name of that mini-guitar played by bluegrass performers?

are you thinking of a mandolin?

[MiNe 109]

In article
>,
John Atkinson > wrote:

> On Aug 15, 4:11*pm, MiNe 109 > wrote:
> > In article
> > >,
> > *John Atkinson > wrote:
> > > On Aug 15, 2:30*pm, George M. Middius >
> > > wrote:
> > > > What's the name of that mini-guitar played by bluegrass performers?
> > >
> > > Mandolin. Four course of 2 strings each, tuned in fifths (the same as
> > > a violin).
> >
> > Violinist Carrie Rodriguez splits the difference between guitar and
> > mandolin:
> >
> > http://www.epiphone.com/news.asp?NewsID=634
>
> Don Fiorino, who plays guitars etc for Attention Screen, the
> NY jazz group I have recorded for Stereophile, recently
> bought one of these "Mandobirds" -- see
> http://blog.stereophile.com/fsi2008/040608screen/
>
> A strange little instrument indeed. If I remember
> correctly, Don had it tuned to an open guitar tuning
> but minus two strings and an octave higher.

Probably quicker for him to adjust than it would be to learn violin
tuning. I like the baby Thunderbird styling.

Stephen

[Jenn[_3_]]

In article >,
MiNe 109 > wrote:

> In article
> >,
> John Atkinson > wrote:
>
> > On Aug 15, 2:30*pm, George M. Middius >
> > wrote:
> > > What's the name of that mini-guitar played by bluegrass performers?
> >
> > Mandolin. Four course of 2 strings each, tuned in fifths (the same as
> > a violin).
>
> Violinist Carrie Rodriguez splits the difference between guitar and
> mandolin:
>
> http://www.epiphone.com/news.asp?NewsID=634
>
> Stephen

There are several offshoots in the mando world. For example the
mandobanjo:
http://larkinam.com/product.asp?pn=BAN035&Mandobanjo+MB-800=&bhcd2=121885
2587

THe mandoguitar:
http://www.voxshowroom.com/us/guitar/mando.html

Mandocello

Mandola:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Mandola.jpg

et al

[George M. Middius[_4_]]

Jenn said:

> et al

All very precious. So is this li'l guy:

http://www.porkfist.com/images/animals/thumbelina.jpg

[Jenn[_3_]]

In article >,
George M. Middius > wrote:

> Jenn said:
>
> > et al
>
> All very precious. So is this li'l guy:
>
> http://www.porkfist.com/images/animals/thumbelina.jpg

OMG! Mini-Neigh!

Very cute

[Schizoid Man[_3_]]

"John Atkinson" > wrote in message
...
> On Aug 15, 2:30 pm, George M. Middius >
> wrote:
>> What's the name of that mini-guitar played by bluegrass performers?
>
> Mandolin. Four course of 2 strings each, tuned in fifths (the same as
> a violin).
>
> John Atkinson
> Editor, Stereophile

Interesting - I would have guessed banjo, but mandolin's probably correct.

[[email protected]]

The mandolin family consists of four instruments, tuned like their
bowed counterparts in the violin family, the mandolin, mandola,
mandocello, and mando-bass. Mandolins are actually fairly modern
although there were always a plethora of citterns, bouzoukis,
tamburitzans, and so forth throughout the Slavic and Mediterranean
world.

The mandolin is the only one used in bluegrass music proper, since
bluegrass is actually a "genre" consisting of one performer-late
mandolinist Bill Monroe-and his emulators, acolytes, former
accompanists (notably guitarist Lester Flatt and banjo player Earl
Scruggs) and hangers-on. It was derived from old-time string band
folk music and local black blues musicians.

Actual mandolins were round-backed flat topped affairs. The bluegrass
mandolin is tuned the same way but is arguably a different instrument,
a Gibson design made to emulate violin construction, which was never
the intent of original mandolins. The Europeans certainly understood
carved top bowed string construction and made the mandolins
differently for several reasons.