These are the instruments that make up our orchestra, their ranges, their capabilities, and some of their unique qualities. We are basically an orchestra of mandolins (the treble instrument of the family) mandola and octave mandolin (altos), and a cello (bass). We add in guitars and a double bass. Please note the clefs that each instrument uses.

Instrument Ranges and Tuning

On the left hand side, the first bar of music shows the range of the instrument. The uppermost note is the range for experienced players. Assume all members of the section can play the uppermost note, but that only 2 of the players per section can play it with ease very quickly or for long passages. The second bar shows the tuning of the strings. The notes on the right indicate the number of players we have in our orchestra.

Mandolin 1 (5 players)

Sometimes our lines divide. Sometimes we have a distinct Solo Mandolin part.

Mandolin 2 (5 players)

Our two mandolin lines work in harmony and/or counterpoint with each other. Occasionally lines divide. Sometimes there is a Solo Mandolin 2 part.

Mandolin 2 - reduced (2 players)

We like to have an easier Mandolin 2 part for players will less experience. This avoids quick passages, difficult fingerings and widely separated notes (unless they are open strings).

Mandola (4 players)

Most of our music has one mandola line, but the part sometimes divides into 2. Sometimes there is a Solo Mandola part.

Octave Mandolin (3 players)

There is normally only one octave mandolin line. In bowed string orchestra music, octave mandolins are often assigned the cello line as we have only one cello.

Guitar (1 or 2 players)

The guitar and octave mandolin have similar ranges. However, the guitar has additional chordal possibilities as it is normally played with the fingers rather than the pick. We usually give it chords over the longer notes and assign it the arpeggiated passages.

Mandocello (1 player)

The cello has a fine sustain for notes played with one pick stroke. When interpreting bowed string orchestra music, we usually give high cello solos to the mandola section because the highest range of the instrument is weak. The tremolo in the bass notes also sounds fuzzy and is best avoided.

Double Bass (1 player)

The double bass is a key component of our orchestra as its voice is strong and rich. It can be played arco or pizzicato. When bowed it can also be made to sound like a timpani.

The plucked note

All the instruments in the mandolin family are plucked stringed instruments usually with 4 pairs of metal strings tuned in fifths. The pair of strings is plucked with a small plectrum, or pick, now usually made of plastic. Mandolins produce a short, sweet sound, approximately an octave higher in pitch than a guitar. We can make our notes sustain more or less by using particular picking techniques, although compared to a bowed strings, or woodwind, the sustain is less.

Tremolo

Mandolins make a unique sound by moving the pick backwards and forwards rapidly across each of the pairs of strings in a technique known as the tremolo. Using the tremolo technique, we can sustain notes and make an effective crescendo and decrescendo, and sforzato. There is no accepted convention for how to notate tremolo and we suggest composers just write tremolo and no tremolo (n.t.). Composers can suggest if they want a certain passage tremoloed but the rest single-picked; if they want just certain notes tremoloed to produce a particular effect; if they want all notes longer than a certain value tremoloed (which is how we often interpret Classical music); or if they would like to leave this to the discretion of the conductor (which is fine with us).

Upstrokes and Downstrokes

By modifying the angle of the pick (among other techniques), we can produce a stronger sound with the pick on a downstroke than on an upstroke. The upstroke is weaker partly because it's not driven by gravity and also because on some instruments we are only picking one, rather than two, strings. Because this assymmetry to the sound tends to happen anyway with less careful players, we can choose our picking to match the rhythm of the music. We can also play with just downstrokes to make sure we are keeping the notes very even in tone. Usually this isn't notated, but is by the interpretation of the player and conductor.

Tone Color

We can play near the bridge to make the effect we call metallico, or over the fretboard, which we call dolce. (As most of our music was not written for the mandolin, this additional note color has usually been left to the interpretation of the conductor.)

Double Stops

Just as with bowed strings, occasionally we will play two (pairs of) strings at the same time, known as a double stop. For longer passages of harmony, we would usually split the notes between stand partners, and annotate the parts "divisi".

"Ringing" Chords and Arpeggiated Chords

Composers writing chords should indicate how they would like them played and, they should make sure they are playable by our instruments. The mandolin family of instruments, being tuned in 5ths, has to invert some of the intervals of the chord. We prefer chords of 3 or 4 notes with some open strings as these are easier to play and sustain. We can play them at the same time, or arpeggiate them like a harp. We can play certain arpeggio rhythms using a variety of picking techniques.

"Chopped Chords"

This technique is common in Blue Grass, or Western Country Music. It hasn't been a speciality of our orchestra because we are used to exploiting the melodic capacities of the instruments. These are percussive chords played by taking the hand off the strings to damp them. But we can play them if they are written for us!