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Mandolins, citterns, bouzoukis, guitars....

Mandolins, citterns, bouzoukis, guitars

These fretted instruments are mostly used in accompaniment and for rhythmic backing. The guitar comes in from the folk boom of the sixties, and is usually a standard acoustic six-string model, though a variety of tunings can be used. A wide variety of instruments come under the general umbrella of the mandolin family. These have a rounded back and usually four pairs of strings (courses) tuned in unison. The mandolin is usually tuned like a fiddle. Larger versions include the mandola (tuned a fifth below) and the mandocello (an octave below). The mandocello is also known as the octave mandolin and is similar to what is known as the Irish bouzouki - a much modified version of the Greek bouzouki, introduced to Irish music by Johnny Moynihan, in his Sweeney's men days in the late sixties, and now almost a standard in Irish groups. Bouzouki tuning is usually GDAD or GDAE. There are several other variants, including the five course citterns developed by Stefan Sobell (with the name borrowed from a medieval family of instruments) and various hybrids such as Andy Irvine's 'bizarre' (bouzouki-guitar).

More information:

Bouzouki Website.
Mandolin Website.
Mandolinking; another mandolin site.
Cittern Website.
Dan Beimborn's very useful field guide to telling various mandolin-type instruments apart.
Dan's other guide, to vintage Gibson model mandolins.
Fretted instruments in celtic music, by Michael Robinson.
Guide to Accompanying Irish music on guitar.
Article on Celtic Guitar by Cliff McGann.
Celtic Fingerstyle guitar pages from Art Edelstein, Pat Kirtley (summary of his book), Dan Mozell (another book!) and El McMeen.
OLGA the online guitar tabulature archive.

Recommended Listening: Andy Irvine, Donal Lunny.