.gif)
Cuatro (instrument)
Encyclopedia
The cuatro is any of several Latin American instruments
of the guitar
or lute
family. The cuatro is smaller than a guitar. Cuatro
means four in Spanish
, although current instruments may have more than four strings
.
An instrument of the guitar family, found in South America
, Trinidad & Tobago and other territories of the West Indies. Its 15th century predecessor was the Portuguese Cavaquinho, which, like the cuatro had four strings. The cuatro is widely used in ensembles in Colombia, Jamaica, Mexico, and Surinam to accompany singing and dancing. In Trinidad & Tobago it accompanies Parang
singers. In Puerto Rico and Venezuela, the cuatro is used as an ensemble instrument for both secular and religious music.
has four single nylon strings, tuned
(A4,D5,F#5,B4). It is similar in shape and tuning to the ukulele
, but their character and playing technique are vastly different. It is tuned in a similar fashion to the traditional D tuning of the ukulele
, but the A and B are an octave
lower. Consequently, the same fingering can be used to shape the chords
, but it produces a different inversion of each chord.
. It belongs to the lute
family of chordophone
s (or string instruments). However, very little is known about the exact origin of the Puerto Rican cuatro. Most experts believe that the cuatro has existed on the island in one form or another for about 400 years.
The Spanish instrument that it is most closely related to is the vihuela
poblana (also known as the Medieval/Renaissance guitar), which had 4 courses, 2 strings each for 8 strings in total as well as the Spanish Medieval/Renaissance 4 course and the Spanish Laúd
, the last of which is still found in the Canary Islands
.
The Puerto Rican cuatro has ten strings in five courses, tuned in fourths from low to high B-e-a-d'-g',54321, with B and E in octave
s and A, D and G in unison
s.
The cuatro is the most familiar of the three stringed instruments that make up the Puerto Rican orquesta jibara (i.e., the Cuatro
, the Tiple
and the Bordonua
).
with an extra course added. The name 'cuatro' is also sometimes used for small Guitarros and Tiples in some parts of Spain.
Musical instrument
A musical instrument is a device created or adapted for the purpose of making musical sounds. In principle, any object that produces sound can serve as a musical instrument—it is through purpose that the object becomes a musical instrument. The history of musical instruments dates back to the...
of the guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
or lute
Lute
Lute can refer generally to any plucked string instrument with a neck and a deep round back, or more specifically to an instrument from the family of European lutes....
family. The cuatro is smaller than a guitar. Cuatro
Cuatro
Cuatro is Spanish for the number four. It may also refer to:* Cuatro , Name for two distinct Latin American instruments one from Puerto Rico and the other from Venezuela....
means four in Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, although current instruments may have more than four strings
Strings (music)
A string is the vibrating element that produces sound in string instruments, such as the guitar, harp, piano, and members of the violin family. Strings are lengths of a flexible material kept under tension so that they may vibrate freely, but controllably. Strings may be "plain"...
.
An instrument of the guitar family, found in South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
, Trinidad & Tobago and other territories of the West Indies. Its 15th century predecessor was the Portuguese Cavaquinho, which, like the cuatro had four strings. The cuatro is widely used in ensembles in Colombia, Jamaica, Mexico, and Surinam to accompany singing and dancing. In Trinidad & Tobago it accompanies Parang
Parang
Parang is a popular folk music originating out of Trinidad and Tobago, it was brought to Trinidad by Venezuelan migrants who were primarily of Amerindian and African heritage, something which is strongly reflected in the music itself. The word is derived from two Spanish words:'Parranda', meaning...
singers. In Puerto Rico and Venezuela, the cuatro is used as an ensemble instrument for both secular and religious music.
The Venezuelan cuatro
The cuatro of VenezuelaVenezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
has four single nylon strings, tuned
Musical tuning
In music, there are two common meanings for tuning:* Tuning practice, the act of tuning an instrument or voice.* Tuning systems, the various systems of pitches used to tune an instrument, and their theoretical bases.-Tuning practice:...
(A4,D5,F#5,B4). It is similar in shape and tuning to the ukulele
Ukulele
The ukulele, ; from ; it is a subset of the guitar family of instruments, generally with four nylon or gut strings or four courses of strings....
, but their character and playing technique are vastly different. It is tuned in a similar fashion to the traditional D tuning of the ukulele
Ukulele
The ukulele, ; from ; it is a subset of the guitar family of instruments, generally with four nylon or gut strings or four courses of strings....
, but the A and B are an octave
Octave
In music, an octave is the interval between one musical pitch and another with half or double its frequency. The octave relationship is a natural phenomenon that has been referred to as the "basic miracle of music", the use of which is "common in most musical systems"...
lower. Consequently, the same fingering can be used to shape the chords
Chord (music)
A chord in music is any harmonic set of two–three or more notes that is heard as if sounding simultaneously. These need not actually be played together: arpeggios and broken chords may for many practical and theoretical purposes be understood as chords...
, but it produces a different inversion of each chord.
The cuatros of Puerto Rico
The cuatro is the national instrument of Puerto RicoPuerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
. It belongs to the lute
Lute
Lute can refer generally to any plucked string instrument with a neck and a deep round back, or more specifically to an instrument from the family of European lutes....
family of chordophone
Chordophone
A chordophone is any musical instrument that makes sound by way of a vibrating string or strings stretched between two points. It is one of the four main divisions of instruments in the original Hornbostel-Sachs scheme of musical instrument classification....
s (or string instruments). However, very little is known about the exact origin of the Puerto Rican cuatro. Most experts believe that the cuatro has existed on the island in one form or another for about 400 years.
The Spanish instrument that it is most closely related to is the vihuela
Vihuela
Vihuela is a name given to two different guitar-like string instruments: one from 15th and 16th century Spain, usually with 12 paired strings, and the other, the Mexican vihuela, from 19th century Mexico with five strings and typically played in Mariachi bands.-History:The vihuela, as it was known...
poblana (also known as the Medieval/Renaissance guitar), which had 4 courses, 2 strings each for 8 strings in total as well as the Spanish Medieval/Renaissance 4 course and the Spanish Laúd
Laúd
The word laúd is the Spanish word for lute. It is most commonly used to refer to a plectrum-plucked chordophone from Spain. It belongs to the cittern family of instruments. It has six double courses , similarly to the bandurria, but its neck is longer...
, the last of which is still found in the Canary Islands
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...
.
The Puerto Rican cuatro has ten strings in five courses, tuned in fourths from low to high B-e-a-d'-g',54321, with B and E in octave
Octave
In music, an octave is the interval between one musical pitch and another with half or double its frequency. The octave relationship is a natural phenomenon that has been referred to as the "basic miracle of music", the use of which is "common in most musical systems"...
s and A, D and G in unison
Unison
In music, the word unison can be applied in more than one way. In general terms, it may refer to two notes sounding the same pitch, often but not always at the same time; or to the same musical voice being sounded by several voices or instruments together, either at the same pitch or at a distance...
s.
The cuatro is the most familiar of the three stringed instruments that make up the Puerto Rican orquesta jibara (i.e., the Cuatro
Cuatro (Puerto Rico)
The cuatro is the national instrument of Puerto Rico. It belongs to the lute family of string instruments.The cuatro of Puerto Rico has ten strings in five courses, tuned from low to high B-e-a-d'-g', 54321, with B and E in octaves and A, D and G in unisons. A cuatro player is called a...
, the Tiple
Tiple
Tiple is the Spanish word for treble or soprano, is often applied to specific instruments, generally to refer to a small chordophone of the guitar family. A tiple player is called a tiplista.-Colombian tiple:...
and the Bordonua
Bordonua
The Bordonua is a large, deep body bass guitar which is native to Puerto Rico. They are made using several different shapes and sizes....
).
Other cuatros
There is also a Cuatro Cubano from Cuba, which is a TresTres
The tres is a 3-course, 6-string chordophone which was created in Cuba. A tres player is called a tresero in Cuba and a tresista in Puerto Rico.-Cuban tres:In Cuba, the son was created as a song and a salon dance genre...
with an extra course added. The name 'cuatro' is also sometimes used for small Guitarros and Tiples in some parts of Spain.
Chord and instructional guides
- Tobe A. Richards The Venezuelan Cuatro Chord Bible: ADF#B Standard Tuning 1,728 Chords - Cabot Books ISBN 978-1-906207-00-7. Published: 2007
- Tobe A. Richards The Puerto Rican Cuatro Chord Bible: BEADG Standard Tuning 1,728 Chords - Cabot Books ISBN 978-1-906207-06-9. Published: 2007