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VIOLA
The word viola in Portuguese is used to refer to instruments which English and Spanish
speakers would think of as "guitars", that is, fretted instruments with a flat
back, a long neck, and a waisted body.. But a portuguese viola is in fact an instrument
with many resemblances to common guitars although much more antique and each of them with
a very unique shape. There are a number of these interesting looking and sounding violas.
Distinctive designs and tunings are associated with certain regions of continental
Portugal, the Azores and Madeira Island.
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Portuguese
GuitarOf unique shape and
sound the portuguese guitar (on the left) is probably the best well known and appreciated
portuguese traditional instrument worlwide. It is played in Fado and also folklore. It is
a twelve-string guitar and to be played the guitarists use fake long nails, which allows a
better sound. |
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Campaniça
Guitar
The viola campaniça, from Beja, is also
very rustic and the biggest viola, being the longest and the widest of all. It has the
same string system as the others and is caracterized by its unique rustic sound. |
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Toeira
Guitar
This is a viola from Beira Litoral and is
especially used around Coimbra.The viola toeira is from Coimbra and, nowadays, there are
very few of these instruments. It is a lot like the viola braguesa |
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Braguesa
Guitar A small guitar-like
instrument of the lute family. Originally from the Braga region of Portugal with 10
strings in 5 double courses.It is a ten-string instrument having still twelve pins and ten
bars - with five double metalic strings and two unused pins - and has three different very
common tunings.The viola braguesa is from the northwest region of our country, especially
Braga - therefore the name |
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Beiroa
GuitarThe viola beiroa, also
called the «bandurra» beiroa is from the district of Castelo Branco. It is, of all the
other violas, the most traditional, rustic and ornamented.
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Cavaquinho
(Ukulele)The cavaquinho is
like a little guitar and has four strings. There are many different types, although
similar, being the most traditional ones the cavaquinho minhoto, the cavaquinho of Coimbra
and the cavaquinho of Lisboa. Also thanks to the travels and discoveries made by the
portuguese in the 15th and 16th centuries and to the fact that the cavaquinhos were taken
in this travels by the sailors and other travelers of those vessels, this instrument
spread into other regions and mixed with other cultures being created the braguinha and
the rajão (from Funchal in Madeira, Portugal), the cavaquinho of Brazil and the ukulele
(from Hawaii).
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Strings
guitar from Madere
Madeira guitar , a guitar-like instrument
with re-entrant tuning that was tuned in the bass range. |
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Rajão
guitar
In a Madeiran ensemble, the rajão performs
much the same function as the rhythm guitar. It has five strings,
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Mandoline
from Minho
The viola amarantina is from Amarante but is also made and played in Braga. It has as well
five double metalic strings, twelve pins (two unused pins) and ten bars.
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Amarantina guitar
The viola amarantina is from Amarante but is also made and played in Braga. It has as well
five double metalic strings, twelve pins (two unused pins) and ten bars.
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