Mandolin

The first Mandolin Orchestra in North America, the Spanish Student Mandolin Orchestra. Henry Eugene Abbey's "Humpty Dumpty Combination." Image of February 3rd, 1880 performance in Manhattan. The group introduced the mandolin orchestra craze to North America.

As a descendant of the lute, the mandolin traces its roots back to the earliest musical instruments and can be found, in various forms, throughout the world. The industrialization of America in the late 1800’s attracted many Italian immigrants who brought with them the easily transportable mandolin. It was soon carried south by those same immigrants and it quickly found its place in the old-time music tradition alongside the fiddle, banjo and guitar. With eight strings on a short neck and light hollowed body, the mandolin produced a higher, clearer sound than its stringed counterparts, adding to the versatility of any band. The mandolin was the personal instrument of choice for Bill Monroe as he and his band, the Blue Grass Boys, defined the bluegrass genre in the 1940’s. Today, the high pitched tones of the mandolin create a top-end sound for any old-time or bluegrass song.