Cavaquinho

The cavaquinho is a small string instrument (like the ukulele) of the European guitar family with four wires or gut strings. It is also called machimbo, machim, machete (Portuguese islands' and Brazilian designation), manchete or marchete, braguinha or braguinho and cavaco.

Related Topics:
Ukulele - Guitar - Machimbo - Machim - Machete - Manchete - Braguinha - Braguinho - Cavaco

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The most common tuning is D,G,B,D (from lower to higher pitches) other tunings like G,G,B,D or A,A,C,#E are also used.

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The origins of this Portuguese instrument are not easily found . Gonçalo Sampaio, who explains the survival of Minho?s archaic and Hellenistic patterns by eventual Greek influences upon the ancient calaics of the region, puts an accent on a link between this instrument and those historical tetrachords. The author sustains that the cavaquinho and the guitar may had been introduced in Braga by the "biscaínhos".

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In Spain there is a similar instrument to this Portuguese "cavaquinho", belonging to the guitar family called the requinto, which also has four strings, a flat bridge, cover and ten fret wires, which tune is D-A-C sharp-E from low to high pitches. Jorge Dias consider it imported from Spain too, where the "guitarra", "guitarrón" or "guitarrico" are also found along with the Italian "chitarrino", saying: without fixing the date of its introduction, we have to recognise the remarkable honour that the "cavaquinho" achieved in Minho by reason of people traditional music character, its joyful songs, its lively dances ... The "cavaquinho", as a rhythmic and harmonic instrument with its own vibrating and cheerful sound, is one of the most fited instrument for accompanying "viras","chulas", "males", "canas-verdes", "verdegares", "prins".

Related Topics:
Requinto - Guitarrón - Viras - Chulas - Males - Canas-verdes - Verdegares - Prins

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It became an important instrument in Brazilian music, especially samba and choro. The standard tuning is D-G-B-D. Some of the most important players and composers in the instrument's Brazilian incarnation are Waldir Azevedo and Paulinho da Viola. The cavaquinho is also found in other places were the Portuguese made an imprint, namely Cape Verde and USA (especially Hawaii), and also in these it became an important part of the typical music of those places.

Related Topics:
Brazilian - Samba - Choro - Tuning - Waldir Azevedo - Paulinho da Viola - Cape Verde - USA - Hawaii

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The Hawaian islands have a similar instrument to the cavaquinho called the ukulele which was brought to the island by Portuguese people. The Hawaian ukulele has four strings and a similar shape to the portuguese cavaquinho. The cavaquinho was introduced in Hawaii by João Fernandes.

Related Topics:
Hawaian - Ukulele - João Fernandes

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