How the Algerian mandole makes its sound
In the Hornbostel–Sachs system, which classifies instruments by how they produce sound, the Algerian mandole belongs to the lutes: strings run parallel to a soundboard and along a neck – the family of the guitar, violin, sitar and oud.
More broadly it is one of the chordophones (string instruments), where sound comes from vibrating strings, amplified by a resonating body.
Its timbre – the colour that lets you tell it apart from other instruments playing the same note – comes from the mix of overtones its body and resonator emphasise.
From Wikipedia
The Algerian mandole (mandol, mondol) is a steel-string fretted instrument resembling an elongated mandolin, widely used in Algerian music such as Chaabi, Kabyle music and Nuubaat (Andalusian classical music).
The name can cause confusion, as "mandole" is a French word for mandola, the instrument from which the Algerian mandole developed. The Algerian mandole is not however a mandola, but a mandocello sized instrument.
Other lutes
Frequently asked questions
What does the Algerian mandole sound like?
As one of the lutes, its sound comes from the way strings run parallel to a soundboard and along a neck.
What type of instrument is the Algerian mandole?
It is classified as lutes (Hornbostel–Sachs 321.322).
Sources & credits
- Wikidata Q25091993 – CC0
- Wikipedia: Algerian mandole – CC BY-SA 4.0
- Image by Kamila ould larbi – CC BY-SA 4.0