Algerian mandole
Lounès Matoub in 1975 with an Algerian mandole. His mandole has oval and not the characteristic diamond sound hole.
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| String instrument | |
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| Other names | mandole, mondol |
| Classification | string |
| Hornbostel–Sachs classification |
List of musical instruments by Hornbostel-Sachs number: 321.322 (flat-backed) (Chordophone with permanently attached resonator and neck, sounded by fingers or plectrum) |
| Inventor(s) | Jean Bélido |
| Developed | 1930s in Algeria by Italian luthier in tradition of mandola and mandolin |
| Related instruments | |
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| More articles | |
| Music of Algeria, Music of Morocco, Chaabi music, Music of Kabyle people, Andalusian classical music, Andalusi nubah, Nuubaat | |
The Algerian mandole (mandol, mondol) is steel-string fretted instrument resembling an elongated mandolin, popular in Algerian Kabyle and Chaabi music and Nuba (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.
The instrument has also been called a "mandoluth" when describing the instrument played by the Algerian-French musician, Hakim Hamadouche. However, the luthier for one of Hakim's instruments describes it as a mondole.
The Algerian mandole is a stringed instrument, with an almond shaped body, built in a box like a guitar, but almond shaped like the mandola with a flat back, raised fingerboard, and wide neck (as a guitar's). It can have eight, ten, or twelve strings in doubled courses, and may have additional frets between frets to provide quarter tones. Quarter tones are used to play music with Arab and Turkish melodies. A variation is to have the thickest strings be single strings instead of double courses. Sound hole is typically diamond shaped, but can be round, and sometimes with rosettes.
Instruments have been created with a scale length of 25.5 inches (650mm), but also as long as 27 inches. Overall instrument length is approximately 990mm (about 39 inches). Width 340mm (about 13.4 inches), depth 75mm (about 3 inches).
The scale length puts the mandole in the baritone or bass range of instruments, such as the mando-cello. The instrument can be tuned as a guitar, oud or mandocello, depending on the music it will be used to play and player preference. When tuning it as a guitar the strings will be tuned (E2) (E2) A2 A2 D3 D3 G3 G3 B3 B3 (E4) (E4). Strings in parenthesis at dropped for a five or four course instrument. Using a common Arabic oud tuning D2 D2 G2 G2 A2 A2 D3 D3 (G3) (G3) (C4) (C4). For a mandocello tuning using fifths C2 C2 G2 G2 D3 D3 A3 A3 (E4) (E4).
The mandole was the European mandola, reborn in Algeria. The North-African variant was created in 1932 by the Italian luthier Jean Bélido, following recommendations made by Algerian musician El Hadj M'Hamed El Anka.
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