The book Método de Mandolina begins at the very beginning of learning to play the mandolin starting with the basic tuning of the instrument how to sit position one s head and hold one s hands. There are many pages of exercises that lead to easy pieces and more difficult short works all in Spanish style.In this age of the Guitar it is remarkable to know that the mandolin was the most popular instrument throughout the Western world at the turn of the last century at the time of the publication of this book. For the most part at that time the virtuosi were considered to be Italian and the best instruments from Italian makers though many other companies were involvedin the production of many forms of the mandolin. This is ironic however as it is frequently asserted that the earliest form of lute or mandolin entered Europe with the Moors onto the Iberian peninsula in the shape of the oud. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries serious composers included lute parts in their major works and wrote pieces expressly for mandolinists and for the thousands of mandolin Orchestras that sprang up throughout Europe and in the New World. That Método de Mandolina remains available is a testament to its usefulness and the expertise of its author in giving teachers and students a volume from which to teach and learn.
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