The word Mandolin comes from the Italian mandolino, which is an altered form of the Latin pandura, or "three-stringed lute". A mandolin is a bit like a small guitar. It is a musical instrument with a wooden body, strings, and a long neck. A musician plays a mandolin by plucking or strumming the strings. Its sound is higher than a guitar, and it's often played alongside lower-pitched instruments, such as banjos and guitars.  In India, the mandolin is played in classical Carnatic music. The musician U. Srinivas was perhaps the greatest mandolin player in this style.