Mandolin family
Resonator and Lap Steel
Hammered Dulcimer
Autoharp
Banjo
Accordions & Concertina
Hurdy Gurdy & Tekero
Mandolin: The soprano voice of
the mandolin family, tuned GDAE, in fifths, like a violin. During
the early 1900s, mandolin orchestras were all the rage, during
this time various instrument companies, including Gibson, Lyon
& Healy and others, manufactured instruments for these ensembles.
Mandolin, mandola, mandocello and mandobass, all tuned similarly
to their violin family relatives.
Mandola: The alto of the mandolin family. The mandola
is tuned a fifth lower than mandolin, CGDA, same as tenor banjo
and viola. Also sometimes called tenor mandola. Some Celtic players
tune up a whole step to have mandolin fingering, DAEB. Various
open tunings are possible, DADA, CGCG, DGDG.
Mandocello: This instrument is tuned one octave lower
than the mandola, CGDA. It is the same range as the violoncello.
It's got a big sound.
Bouzouki, octave mandolin, octave mandola: The bouzouki
was first used in Celtic music in the late 1960s. The original
players used Greek bouzoukis, tuned DAD for the three course
instrument, GDAD or ADAD for the four course instrument. There
are a number of other open tunings, also some players use GDAE,
an octave below the mandolin.
Nowadays, many
luthiers have been building flat-backed Irish bouzoukis or octave
mandolins. It can get confusing, some manufacturers are calling
long scale instruments bouzoukis and shorter scale instruments
octave mandolins. Often there is no difference between them.
Many players call their shorter scale instruments bouzoukis.
To further confuse the issue, many luthiers make 5 course instruments
called citterns, GDADA or DGDAD. We both play 4 course
bouzoukis, usually tuned GDAD, and play many styles of music
on it, including Celtic, Swedish, Balkan and Greek.