The term requinto is used in both Spanish language and Portuguese to mean a smaller, higher-pitched version of another instrument. Thus, there are requinto , , and several .
Wind instruments
Requinto was 19th-century Spanish for "little clarinet".
Today, the word
requinto, when used in relation to a clarinet, refers to the
E-flat clarinet, also known as
requint in Valencian language.
Requinto can also mean a high-pitched flute (akin to a piccolo), or the person who plays it.
Small guitar
The
requinto guitar has six nylon strings with a scale length of , which is about 18% smaller than a standard guitar scale.
Requintos are tuned: A2-D3-G3-C4-E4-A4 (one fourth higher than the standard classical guitar).
It was made popular throughout the 1940s by Mexican guitarist/vocalist Alfredo Gil of romantic music trio "Los Panchos."
Requintos made in Mexico have a deeper body than a standard classical guitar ( as opposed to ). Requintos made in Spain tend to be of the same depth as the standard classical.
Other stringed instruments
Portuguese violas
Many Portuguese violas, such as the
Viola braguesa, have smaller requinto versions also, called 'requinta'.
The Viola Braguesa Requinta is tuned: A4 A3, C5 C4, F5 F4, C#5 C#5, E5 E5. This tuning is a fifth above the standard Viola braguesa.
Puerto Rican tiples
In Puerto Rico, there are many small instruments called Tiple Requinto. These usually have 3 or 4 strings. See Tiple (Puerto Rico).
Colombian tiple requinto
The Colombian Requinto Tiple (or Tiple Colombiano Requinto) is smaller than a standard Tiple Colombiano, and is sometimes shaped more like a violin or Puerto Rican cuatro, or sometimes like a small guitar (smaller than the standard Tiple). It also has 12 strings and is also triple-strung, but the higher pitch means that all of the strings in the courses are tuned to unison. It is tuned D4 D4 D4, G4 G4 G4, B4 B4 B4, E4 E4 E4.
Guitarro or guitarrico aragonés
The Guitarro aragonés, from Aragón, Spain, looks like a small guitar. It has 4 or 5 strings and is usually tuned A-D-G-C-E-A . The 4 string is also usually tuned E-C#-A–D
Requinto jarocho
The
requinto jarocho or
guitarra de son is a plucked string instrument, played usually with a special pick. It is a four- or five-stringed instrument that has originated from
Veracruz, Mexico.
The requinto is used in conjunto jarocho ensembles. In the absence of the arpa jarocha, the requinto typically introduces the melodic theme of the son and then continues by providing a largely improvised counterpoint to the vocal line. See Requinto jarocho.
Small drum
The
requinto drum is used in the Puerto Rican folk genre
plena, wherein it is a small conical hand drum that improvises over the other drum rhythms.
See also
External links
