The mandolin is a string instrument in the lute family. It is tuned like a violin (from low to high GDAE), but with 4 double courses (or 4 pairs) of strings instead of single strings.
The mandolin is most commonly associated with bluegrass music, especially here in the southern U.S., but it is far more widely used than that. It’s found in gypsy jazz music, Brazilian folk music, Indian music, and even in the classic rock of Led Zeppelin.
Our mandolin teachers at Asheville Music School are well versed in numerous styles of music and can help you take the mandolin in any direction you’d like. See their bios for more.