Interesting article over at the Mandozine website on comparisons of the popularity of mandolin and ukulele by site author, John Baxter who has contributed generously to the cyber world of mandolin the last decade, providing "an archive of over 2,900 tunes in TabLEdit format, a Techniques section covering a range of topics, and the archive for interviews conducted by the CoMando discussion list of some of the greatest artists of the last 50 years. Mandozine also broadcasts a 24/7 Internet radio station that plays mandolin-centric music." We appreciate the shout out for the efforts here at JazzMando and Scott Tichenor's Mandolin Cafe resources.

Article Excerpt:
Both the mandolin and ukulele have a special niche in the musical landscape, with dedicated players that have immersed themselves in the music, instruments, culture, and community. The ukulele and mandolin, and the artists and vast number of enthusiasts that resurrected the instruments during the past century, have revolutionized music with the acceptance and appreciation of these instruments.

There are some parallels between the ukulele and mandolin, such as their popularity in the early 1900s, the revival of the instruments in the 50s and 60s, and the popularity we see today. Both instruments have some similar aspects. They are both four stringed instruments. Although the mandolin has eight strings that are tuned in pairs, the mandolin is considered a four stringed instrument from a players perspective. The ukulele and mandolin are both part of a family of instruments. The ukulele family consists of the soprano, concert, tenor and baritone. The mandolin family consists of the mandolin, mandola, mandocello, and the obscure mandobass. Both instruments are used for a variety of styles of music. Although the ukulele is most often used for Hawaiian music and popular tunes, it is a versatile instrument that has been adapted for jazz, folk, reggae, and rock. The mandolin, in the U.S., is dominate in bluegrass, but is used for classical, celtic, folk, swing, choro, and jazz. It has been featured in pop and rock music by such artists as Rod Stewart, Led Zeppelin, REM, and The Band.

Read More: Ukulele and Mandolin

Enjoy: Mandozine Radio

Posted by Ted at July 23, 2011 6:26 AM