The Brazilian Mandolin

Peghead Nation’s Brazilian Choro Mandolin instructor Ian Coury demonstrates eight-string and ten-string mandolins and discusses their roles in Brazilian music.

Peghead Nation’s Brazilian Choro Mandolin instructor Ian Coury is a leading Brazilian mandolin player. Like many contemporary choro mandolinists, Ian primarily plays a ten-string bandolim, in his case one built by Brazilian luthier Pedro Santos (but in his Peghead course, all of Ian’s arrangements can be played on a standard eight-string mandolin).

In this video, Ian compares the tonality of eight-string and ten-string mandolins, discusses the musical contexts each are used in, and talks about the history of the modern mandolin in Brazilian music, beginning with Jacob do Bandolim (1918–1969) and continuing with contemporary virtuosos such as Armandinho Macêdo and Hamilton de Holanda.

To learn mandolin from Ian Coury, enroll in his Brazilian Choro Mandolin course! 

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