A Short History of the Mandolin

Luthier and musician Clive Titmuss talks briefly about the development and features of the Neapolitan mandolin, an extension of Italian 17th Century lute-building into the 19th Century.

NEW notes January 2025:

Since first posting this video years ago, it has become the most viewed on my channel, and quite a few people have been saying that I left this or that (oud, gourd instruments like the sitar, the Iranian setar, the American mandolin, etc.) out.

A significant idea seems to have formed about the mandolin that I wanted to clear up, perhaps some confusion about the lute (round back, ribs of wood, a documented history of published music over centuries) and the American-style flat-backed instrument which has the same name, but is not, technically speaking a lute, but a cittern with a completely different history and tradition. I'll briefly write about it here.

In response to a recent comment I wrote this reply to document this divergence a bit more and add some context to my video, which is mainly about lutes, that is the round-backed instrument tradition of Europe.

There is some confusion among players of flat-backed about whether they are indeed mandolins, so I'll make a little note here for other readers to help to clear up the differences and classification based on the structure and literature, and not just the name. Naming is often very confusing when talking about instruments and it often causes people to think that there is some relationship when in fact the name is really the only connection.

It was my intention to confine my remarks in the video to the confines of the lute, and the flat-backed mandolin of North America isn't really part of that musical evolution because of the narrow definitions of musicology, organology, social history and actual repertoire.

The flat-backed version is actually, technically a cittern and has a completely different evolution. It begins the in the pre-1500s period with an instrument sometimes called the "cetra" or 'chitharn" and through the wire strung instruments of the English sixteenth century, later into Sweden and Germany and the famous songs of Carl Bellman in the 18th C.

In the sixteenth century, it crossed the Atlantic with the Pilgrims and Puritans and made its way, migrating with the growing population of Virginia, Kentucky and the Carolinas. It was then, among other things, a "folk" instrument (mostly played by ear in social settings) played widely in the Appalachian region of the Eastern US.

The lute-backed version of the mandolin is usually described as "Neapolitan" and the word "mandolin" means "little instrument shaped like and almond". Devised from the 18th century mandora, or mandore, it changed shape by growing the first and last ribs, and was made by the Vinacci family of luthiers and played in the 1820s in Naples. From it origins in western Italy, it travelled to France, England and Germany, played mainly as a folk instrument without a printed literature of music but also forming the basis of mandolin orchestras. Often it was played in bands because it can easily be heard over the other bowed stringed instruments.

Later in the century and into the next, it was actually made in large numbers in Manhattan and Brooklyn by numerous Italian immigrants and beginning in the early 20th Century along with accordions, guitars and pump organs popular until the middle 1950s and sold in many NY City music stores. I have seen many of these American-made Neapolitan mandolins made from oak, maple and other North American hardwoods. Sometimes they were heavily decorated with abalone, shell, bone, ivory and other things that make them distinctive American.

Increasingly in that period it was replaced by the American cittern-style flat-backed mandolin with F-holes. These flat-backed mandos often picked up decorative impulses from the Neapolitan model, and had shell and bone inlays, to make the look more "Italian".

The F-holes and the distinctive curl are pure late 19th century neo-Gothic elements found also in furniture and buildings of the period which Americans often refer to, rather puzzling, as "Victorian". Sometimes this period is called "The Gilded Age", just before the turn of the century, a time of great economic growth in the US. The carved back and top and other features made it hardier, louder and easier to play in high positions, so it superceded the lute-style instrument in many ensembles and throughout the South.

The main constant shared by both instruments is the violin tuning. Both instruments are used by Celtic and Bluegrass bands, Rock bands, Country artists and others. There's a whole new class of instruments which have come into this area with "mando-cellos" and "Irish Bouzouki". It's getting very hard to keep it all straight!

Thanks for your interesting comments and giving me the opportunity to talk about his fascinating continuation of the history of a really popular instrument. Still!!!

[TheLostMedici]

Beautiful instruments - nicely explained, thank you for sharing this!

[danschoenharl]

The evolution of the mandolin didn't stop there.

I'll be playing my Fender 4 string electric Mandocaster, strung with Thomastik round wound strings, through a "Champ", at church all this month for the planned reoccurring song "I'll Fly Away". 
There is a lot of player-driven innovation behind that combination, ... and to great effect.


5ths tuning is my favorite.

Now, if I could only convince Fender to add a Tenorcaster (also a Mandolacaster and Mandocellocater) to their

[InventorZahran]

The turtleshell lute has a stretched skin for a soundboard, so it's also technically the first banjo!

[saraqostahterra]

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.

[wagohowardmusic]

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.

[kevinmkraft]

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?

[Danteandras]

Could gourd based instruments be another orgin, if they existed they have likely rotted away. Thanks for the video.

[antoineguerin]

No ! The luth "al Oud" comes from indian then persian instruments featuring squash back instruments.

[jeffreyjkkelly]

Thank you. Next time play more. It's all about the music!😊

[henryandino]

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.

[WWS]

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.

[JimDeferio]

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.