Hi Zahran, interesting comment! In terms of classical organology, mostly established by author Curt Sachs in the early 20th C., the banjo is classed as a "cittern", and has a flat back, is descended from a different with many models over centuries. The lute is round-backed to imitate the turtle, which is its defining character, its animal spirit. Both types are depicted in ancient pictographic sources, in Ur, Egypt and the Fertile Crescent.
Not one mention of geographic location, any of the people who made larger ribs, flattened backs, and lack to talk about how the mandolin was standardized for the western ear, including Gibson, changing the creativeness of the back to resemble the violin.. Otherwise amazing great information. Love your workshop. Also, your channel is really cool.
Well, I did say it was a short history :) and it was my intention to emphasize the lute as the ancestor of the Vinacci style of Neapolitan mandolin. Technically speaking, the change of American mandolins to f-hole and carved tops and backs qualify them as citterns, a completely different tradition of instrument making that extends back to the medieval and through the Jacobean and Tudor periods. Thanks very much for your comment; I'm glad you like the channel because we've been working very hard on it.
Why does the mandolin have double-strings instead of a single set of strings? Asked another way, why does the mandolin have eight strings instead of just four double-strings?
The stringing is taken from the mandore and the chitarra battente, combining the two but taking the Italian tuning of the violin because so many people played it. The double strings are better suited to a pick and each string needs only half as much tension. The two strings give something called a combination tone which is a special acoustical effect.
@@EarlyMusicStudio1 Interesting! Thank you for explaining. I'd love go back in time to see how they figured this out, how the conversation or thought process developed.
I see gourds as an imitation of the turtle shell. Dried gourds survive well; for example, there are many sitars in the world. Glad you like the video and thanks for your comment.
Hi Daniel, Thanks for this question! Vivaldi would have used an earlier mandolin typical of Venice - the kind of instrument in this video is a Neapolitan mandolin from the 1820's. Vivaldi's mandolin had a more rounded shape, but still the same violin tuning. There are some videos elsewhere on TH-cam.
Thanks for your comment. We agree, music is the purpose of our work. Sometimes viewers are interested in the instruments too, so we provide a variety of material. You might enjoy the mandolin in this video; th-cam.com/video/PtFg64qKls8/w-d-xo.html
no se que posee el mandolin desde niño le encontré mas atención que a la guitarra e incluso tengo uno y no imagine que hasta mis abuelo y generaciones atras tambien les gustaba.
Hi Justin, thanks for your comment. Both the lute and guitar families (round-backed and flat-backed) have been around at least 5,000 years, reaching back to the ancient world. They may have originally come from Africa (Egypt) and co-existed in Asia, coming to Europe in the 9th or 10th centuries.
No way in the world are you correct in your history. The Hebrews had numerous stringed musical instruments dating back to 1,050 BC and there were instruments before that time also.
Hi Jim, thanks for your comment. Which statement are you referring to? In the video I said that the instrument had been around for 10 to 12 thousand years. These early examples were indeed widespread although this folk instrument, gembrae, is from northern Africa. Do you also have an early lute? Thanks for watching!
Beautiful instruments - nicely explained, thank you for sharing this!
The turtleshell lute has a stretched skin for a soundboard, so it's also technically the first banjo!
Hi Zahran, interesting comment! In terms of classical organology, mostly established by author Curt Sachs in the early 20th C., the banjo is classed as a "cittern", and has a flat back, is descended from a different with many models over centuries. The lute is round-backed to imitate the turtle, which is its defining character, its animal spirit. Both types are depicted in ancient pictographic sources, in Ur, Egypt and the Fertile Crescent.
No it ain’t. Chinese have been doing that with their string instruments for hundreds of years prior.
Not one mention of geographic location, any of the people who made larger ribs, flattened backs, and lack to talk about how the mandolin was standardized for the western ear, including Gibson, changing the creativeness of the back to resemble the violin..
Otherwise amazing great information. Love your workshop. Also, your channel is really cool.
Well, I did say it was a short history :) and it was my intention to emphasize the lute as the ancestor of the Vinacci style of Neapolitan mandolin. Technically speaking, the change of American mandolins to f-hole and carved tops and backs qualify them as citterns, a completely different tradition of instrument making that extends back to the medieval and through the Jacobean and Tudor periods. Thanks very much for your comment; I'm glad you like the channel because we've been working very hard on it.
@@EarlyMusicStudio1 it is a hard to please all the people all the time.. lol…I enjoy your channel!! Thanks for being you!!!
You only need a oud to fill the gap between the lute and the prehistoric instrument. I think than you'd have the full collection.
Great video! Thank you :)
Glad you liked it, and thanks for watching!
Interesting!
Why does the mandolin have double-strings instead of a single set of strings? Asked another way, why does the mandolin have eight strings instead of just four double-strings?
The stringing is taken from the mandore and the chitarra battente, combining the two but taking the Italian tuning of the violin because so many people played it. The double strings are better suited to a pick and each string needs only half as much tension. The two strings give something called a combination tone which is a special acoustical effect.
@@EarlyMusicStudio1 Interesting! Thank you for explaining. I'd love go back in time to see how they figured this out, how the conversation or thought process developed.
Could gourd based instruments be another orgin, if they existed they have likely rotted away. Thanks for the video.
I see gourds as an imitation of the turtle shell. Dried gourds survive well; for example, there are many sitars in the world. Glad you like the video and thanks for your comment.
@@EarlyMusicStudio1sitars are actually a relatively new instruments so there would be no ancient ones to find.
Which instrument was used by Vivaldi?
Hi Daniel, Thanks for this question! Vivaldi would have used an earlier mandolin typical of Venice - the kind of instrument in this video is a Neapolitan mandolin from the 1820's. Vivaldi's mandolin had a more rounded shape, but still the same violin tuning. There are some videos elsewhere on TH-cam.
No ! The luth "al Oud" comes from indian then persian instruments featuring squash back instruments.
Thank you. Next time play more. It's all about the music!😊
Thanks for your comment. We agree, music is the purpose of our work. Sometimes viewers are interested in the instruments too, so we provide a variety of material. You might enjoy the mandolin in this video; th-cam.com/video/PtFg64qKls8/w-d-xo.html
no se que posee el mandolin desde niño le encontré
mas atención que a la guitarra e incluso tengo uno y no imagine que hasta mis abuelo y generaciones atras tambien les gustaba.
I was just remarking with my mom how I wondered how the mandolin came about. I suppose it was to make a sound different from guitar.
Hi Justin, thanks for your comment. Both the lute and guitar families (round-backed and flat-backed) have been around at least 5,000 years, reaching back to the ancient world. They may have originally come from Africa (Egypt) and co-existed in Asia, coming to Europe in the 9th or 10th centuries.
No way in the world are you correct in your history. The Hebrews had numerous stringed musical instruments dating back to 1,050 BC and there were instruments before that time also.
Hi Jim, thanks for your comment. Which statement are you referring to? In the video I said that the instrument had been around for 10 to 12 thousand years. These early examples were indeed widespread although this folk instrument, gembrae, is from northern Africa. Do you also have an early lute? Thanks for watching!