The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1886-10-15

= Pleasing Italian Inseruusent That q
just Nov u Fnshisn.
The mandolin Is the reigning fash.
ionable caprice. having quite super
seeded the banjo In the esteem Of the la
dies. That IL should have done 50 Is
BY no means strange. for !, Is really :
charming little instrument when at all
decently played. Is not very difficult 70
learn. and has good deal more style
and finish about 1t than the banjo has.
However the latter may be adorned.
with nickel plating. mother-of-pearl
and all sorts OF gaudy ornamcntation.
II has a plsbian look about It. and sug.
gests the idea Of : field hand in his
Sunday suit. But the mandolin. espe.
cially II one Of the good kind. made Of
jonted strips Of dark mahogany. has
an aristocratic polish and finish about
y. and wears Il in q jaunty fashion pc.
culiarly its own.
The only unpleasant feature about Il
70 the learner is the knife-blade like
sharpness Of its fine wire strings.
There are eight strings, In pairs. all Of
steel wire. Two pairs are wound with
German silver. and are not 50 cruel a
the others; but the unwound four,
hardly thicker than horse hairs. seem
70 cut to the bone the finger ends that
press them down upon the frcts. Oi
course that pain and trouble ends when
each finger Of the left hand is tipped
with . bony. callous spot, and one
must expect some such trouble in form.
ing . close acquaintance with any
stringed instrument When nature has
provided that protection. the mandolin
player. Il an expert, can produce Some
very pleasing effects by producing the
tones by percussion on the strings over
the frcts. instead of by stunning with
. bit Of tortoise shell held between the
thumb and fore finger Of the right hand,
which is the ordinary way Of playing.
The tone Of the mandolin very much
resembles that of the either. having the
same clear. penetrating quality. bat
the compass Of the instrument and it
capabilities are much below those Of
the either.
The Spanish mandola is much like
the Italian mandolin in its general
features. but has important differences
from il nevertheless. Its body is shall
lower. shaped more like the bowl Of
spoon than the half Of an egg divided
lengthwise. which Is the form Of the in
strument beloved in Naples and Rome;
its strings are Of catgut instead Of steel.
ard its tone Is not so sharp and incl
siye. Either mandola or mandolin.
however, has surprising volume 81
sound for so small body. and domi-
mates pleasingly the tones Of . guitar.
or even those Of apiano Expert play
crs have way of maintaining an I'M
ceasing trcmolando BY Keeping the lit
tie instrument in constantly CULVER
ing motion while they are executing q
solo. that at least looks as if il would
be rather hard TO effect and harder yet
to continue for any length OF time. but
the lengthening of vibrations thus
achieved prcttilv supplies the lack Of .
supporting instrument. The power of
controlling the volume OF sound in y
crescendo or diminuendo possessed by
skillful performer is really surprising
and extremely effective in rendition 81
the peculiar passionate and sensuous
music to which the mandolin Is Des'
adapted.
While the mandolin is easy to learn
up 70 certain point, it Is. like all
seemingly simple instruments. very
difficult TO develop to its highest artis-
TIC capabilities. and the Italian who
has achieved complete mastery Of il not
only very justly respects himself high
". but is even respected in an extraor-
binary degree BY his countrymen. The
best players are said to come from
Naples, where native who does not
at least think that he can play upon
the mandolin is n curiosity.
A good mandolin costs from twenty
five dollars to fifty dollars, and all pro-
durable here are imported from Naples.