by the human voice. It was the most popular instrument of it’s time, and its repertoire was enormous.A larger form was developed called the archlute. It gave rise to the theorbo, which is simply described as a large lute of the baroque period, and to the chitarrone, which was supplanted by the Spanish vihuela and the modern guitar. The theorbo had an extra set of bass strings, not stopped on a fingerboard as the regular set are but plucked as open strings. These made it more suitable for playing baroque music than was the lute. It originated in the late 16th century and survived until the end of the 18th century.Developed from the mandola, a 17th century lute, the mandolin has a half pear shaped body, a fretted neck, and a variable number of strings, plucked with the fingers or with a plectrum. A smaller type was the Neapolitan mandolin, having four pairs of strings. It became popular in the 18th century and is the usual present-day mandolin. In popular music it is generally played with a tremolo motion. Notable uses of the mandolin are in Mozart’s Don Giovanni and in pieces by Beethoven and Mahler.The balalaika did not appear in Russia until 1700. It has a triangular body and a long fretted neck. Usually there are three strings, which are generally plucked with a pick. The balalaika is made in various sizes, and several may be combined to make a band or orchestra. A similar instrument, the bandura, is found in Ukraine and Russia, and other types are to be found in the countries of the Middle East, where the balalaika almost certainly originated. Like the guitar, the balalaika has been much used to accompany folk songs and country dances.Slaves brought the banjo to America by 1688 from West Africa, and it is thought to have come from Europe or Asia. The banjo has a body resembling that of a tambourine. It consists of a hoop over wich a skin membrane is stretched. It has a long, often fretted neck and four to...
