Bandora (instrument)

The bandora, though built like a cittern, had six or seven courses (unison pairs) of strings tuned in a more lute-like fashion, but without the high d found on a bass lute.

In fact, the barring is very close to an orpharion, and closer to contemporary lute than to cittern or guitar construction.

This creates a proportion closer to present guitar tunings; typically C D G C E A, and occasionally a seventh low G string.

The Spanish bandurria, though this term was once also interchangeable, now applies to a treble instrument like a mandolin - a similar confusion as has occurred with mandore, mandora, mandola (q.v.).

All these instruments are thought to derive their names originally from the ancient Greek pandura (which term, once again, is found applied to a variety of stringed instruments in different regions at an early date).