Mandolin — Crystalline Plucked Strings
The mandolin is a small plucked lute with doubled strings and a bright, crystalline tone, widely used in Moroccan chaabi and several Mediterranean popular music styles. Its rounded body and tremolo playing style make it instantly recognisable.
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What it is
The mandolin is a plucked string instrument of the lute family, typically strung with four courses (pairs) of metal strings tuned like a violin's (G-D-A-E). Its resonating body, bowl-shaped in the Neapolitan model or flat in the more modern one, is played with a plectrum (pick), often in a fast tremolo to sustain a note over time — the instrument's signature technique.
Origins and history
Originating in Italy, where it developed from the 17th–18th centuries onward, particularly around Naples, the mandolin travelled with Mediterranean trade and cultural exchange all the way to North Africa. In Morocco, it found a particular home in chaabi, urban popular music, where it adds a bright melodic colour alongside more traditional instruments like the oud or derbouka.
It's also found more broadly in some classical Arabic and Mediterranean ensembles, where its clear tone contrasts pleasantly with an ensemble's lower-register instruments.
Handcrafted the traditional way
Our mandolins are built with a solid-wood body (spruce for the top, maple or rosewood for the back and sides depending on the model), a neck shaped for comfortable playing, and typically a metal-fretted fingerboard for precise intonation across the range.
| Instrument type | Plucked string instrument (lute family) |
|---|---|
| Strings | 8 metal strings (4 courses), G-D-A-E tuning |
| Body | Bowl-back (Neapolitan) or flat-back depending on the model |
| Wood | Spruce (top), maple or rosewood (back/sides) |
| Level | Beginner to advanced |
How to choose the right one
- Body type: a bowl-back gives a rounder, more traditional tone; a flat-back is often more comfortable for beginners.
- String quality: good strings greatly affect intonation and tremolo sustain.
- Neck comfort: essential for the quick position changes typical of mandolin playing.
- Intended use: chaabi, Western classical, or Mediterranean music can each point toward slightly different models.
How it's played
The mandolin is held like a small guitar, resting against the chest, and played with a pick. The tremolo technique — a very fast alternation of up and down strokes on the same string — artificially sustains a note, somewhat like a bow does on a bowed instrument, and is the instrument's sonic signature.
Care and maintenance
Keep the mandolin in its hard case when not in use, away from impact and humidity swings that can affect the wood and body glue joints. Wipe the strings after each session to extend their life.
An instrument of Italian origin, woven into Moroccan chaabi and several Mediterranean popular music repertoires.
Frequently asked questions
Is the mandolin a traditional Moroccan instrument?+
No, it originates in Italy, but it has been part of Moroccan chaabi and other popular music styles for decades, to the point of being well recognised there today.
How is it different from a guitar?+
The mandolin has doubled strings, a different tuning (matching the violin's), and is played mainly with a pick using the tremolo technique, while the guitar offers more varied fingerstyle or pick playing on single strings.
Is it suitable for a complete musical beginner?+
Yes, it's a good introduction to plucked strings, provided you accept an adjustment period to the tremolo technique, which rewards regular practice.
