Traditional
Most commonly featured in traditional American bluegrass music, the mandolin and banjo have made significant inroads into mainstream music culture. The mandolin, which has eight strings tuned in pairs and originated in Italy, is a bluegrass/country music mainstay. The twang of a finger picked 5-string banjo is superbly suited to country music, too, while its four-string relative, the tenor banjo, often replaces the rhythm guitar in Dixieland bands.
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