Il mandolino è uno strumento musicale che appartiene al genere dei cordofoni e tuttora si trova in Italia come nel resto del mondo.
Oltre al mandolino "classico" (o napoletano), caratterizzato da quattro corde doppie accordate insieme, ne esistono altri tipi denominati nell'Ottocento e Novecento dal luogo d'origine dei relativi prototipi, per esempio: cremonese, milanese, toscano.
L'origine del mandolino risale alla prima metà del XVII secolo: soltanto a circa la metà del Settecento risale invece l'inizio della produzione di mandolini napoletani da parte della celebre "Casa Vinaccia" di Napoli. Questi mandolini sono quasi tutti intarsiati e hanno filettature d'avorio e madreperla lungo il manico, si deve proprio ai Vinaccia l'applicazione delle corde di acciaio in sostituzione di quelle in ottone, nel primo Ottocento.
A mandolin (Italian: mandolino pronounced [mandoˈliːno]; literally "small mandola") is a stringed musical instrument in the lute family and is usually plucked with a plectrum or "pick". It commonly has four courses of doubled metal strings tuned in unison (8 strings), although five (10 strings) and six (12 strings) course versions also exist. The courses are normally tuned in a succession of perfect fifths. It is the soprano member of a family that includes the mandola, octave mandolin, mandocello and mandobass.
There are many styles of mandolin, but three are common, the Neapolitan or round-backed mandolin, the carved-top mandolin and the flat-backed mandolin. The round-back has a deep bottom, constructed of strips of wood, glued together into a bowl. The carved-top or arch-top mandolin has a much shallower, arched back, and an arched top—both carved out of wood. The flat-backed mandolin uses thin sheets of wood for the body, braced on the inside for strength in a similar manner to a guitar. Each style of instrument has its own sound quality and is associated with particular forms of music. Neapolitan mandolins feature prominently in European classical music and traditional music. Carved-top instruments are common in American folk music and bluegrass music. Flat-backed instruments are commonly used in Irish, British and Brazilian folk music. Some modern Brazilian instruments feature an extra fifth course tuned a fifth lower than the standard fourth course.
