MANDOLIN FAMILY

Octave Mandolin

Cittern

Mandolin: The soprano voice of the mandolin family, tuned GDAE, in fifths, like a violin. Produced in two common models, the teardrop-shaped A-style and the highly stylized Florentine or F-style. The Florentine features a scroll on the bass side of the instrument.

Mandola: The alto, or viola equivalent of the mandolin family. Just like a viola is to a violin, the mandola is larger than a mandolin. The mandola is tuned a fifth lower than mandolin, CGDA.

Mandocello and Mandobass: This instrument is tuned one octave lower than the mandola, CGDA as well. The Mandobass is rare, but the few examples available are tuned the same as a String Bass EADG

Bouzouki: The bouzouki was picked up by Irish musicians travelling abroad and then adapted for their use by retuning to GDAE. Nowadays, many luthiers have been building flat-backed Irish bouzoukis or octave mandolins. Octave mandolins are tuned one octave below the standard mandolin, GDAE. In many instances, the only difference between the bouzouki and an octave mandolin is the scale length-- long scales tend to be called bouzoukis and short scales are octave mandolins. Octave mandolins are gaining in popularity versus the bouzouki due to its easy reach.

Cittern: The cittern used by today's folk-bands has its ancestors in the renaissance citterns and the English Guitar, but it is now more closely related to the flat-back Bouzouki - the main difference being that the cittern has 10 strings in 5 courses, a slightly shorter neck and often a rather larger body. There doesn't seem to be a standard tuning, ADADA, ADGAD, or DGDAD, are in common use.