Guitar Lovers

When you think of electric instruments, the guitar and bass probably spring to mind immediately. It may come as a surprise that the mandolin – an instrument so often associated with delicate, classical songs – has also been amped up in a number of classic rock and roll standards. Seeking a bridge between the hard-edged electric side and the softer acoustic side of their classic third LP, Led Zeppelin employed an electric mandolin on the old traditional “Gallow’s Pole.”

But perhaps the most famous use of the electrified mandolin came a year later on Rod Stewart’s quintessential album Every Picture Tells a Story. “Maggie May” remains an FM radio staple to this day, and its innovative mandolin solo is easily the most distinctive feature of the flawless composition. It just goes to show that aspiring rock musicians can benefit from adding a bit of variety to the standard guitar-drums-bass lineup.

As anyone who’s ever gotten into an argument over a favorite band knows, musical taste is highly subjective. What sounds particularly pleasant to my ear might just come off as dissonance to you. You might defend your favorite pop song by citing its inventive hook, but it might remind me of a dozen songs that came before. Coming to an agreement about music is often just as difficult and impassioned as finding common political or religious ground.

Still, musical theorists agree that there’s something special about the violin. These stringed instruments come closest to imitating the human voice, which strikes a chord in listeners. There’s something primal about the way violins affect us; their strains tend to stand out above other instruments, rendering them largely incidental. This connection between the violin and the human voice was just as apparent in Mozart’s day as it is in the modern age.