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url: 'https://kalasudha.com/en-int/faq/instruments-artforms/what-is-the-carnatic-mandolin'
title: 'What is the Carnatic mandolin?'
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date: '2026-10-19T15:12:31+00:00'
updated: '2026-11-02T00:17:40+00:00'
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summary: 'The Carnatic mandolin is the five-string electric mandolin that U. Srinivas played, with single strings in place of the Western double courses.'
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 FAQ · Instruments & artforms

# What is the Carnatic mandolin?

 Updated 2 November 2026

 

The Carnatic **[mandolin](/en-int/instrument/mandolin)** is the electric mandolin as U. Srinivas (1969 to 2014) played it in South Indian classical music. He began on his father's acoustic mandolin at about five or six, and later played a five-string electric instrument with single strings in place of the Western four double courses. Real World Records describes it as resembling the Western mandolin but fitted with a contact microphone. Other Carnatic mandolin players include U. Rajesh.



 

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- [   Mandolin The Carnatic mandolin is the electric instrument U. Srinivas established for South Indian raga: his five single strings or the Western eight in four courses,…     ](/en-int/instrument/mandolin)
 
  

 

 

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