The cavaquinho (pronounced [kɐvɐˈkiɲu] in Portuguese) is a small string instrument from Portugal. It belongs to the family of instruments similar to the guitar and has four strings made of wire or gut.
A person who plays the cavaquinho is called a cavaquista.
Tuning
A common tuning in Portugal is C G A D. This tuning is non-reentrant, meaning the strings do not loop around, and C is the lowest note.
The standard tuning in Brazil is D G B D.
Other tunings include:
- D A B E – a Portuguese ancient tuning made popular by Júlio Pereira. This tuning is reentrant, meaning the strings loop around, and A is the lowest note.
- G G B D
- A A C E
- D G B E – used for solo parts in Brazil
- G D A E – mandolin tuning
- G C E A – ‘cavacolele’ tuning, the same as the soprano/tenor ukulele
- D G B E – the same as the highest four strings in standard guitar tuning. This tuning is often used by guitarists and is also used for the baritone ukulele.
Forms
There are several types of cavaquinho used in different regions and for different kinds of music. These include types named after places like Portugal, Braga (braguinha), Minho (minhoto), Lisbon, Madeira, Brazil, and Cape Verde. Other types are called braguinha, cavacolele, cavaco, machete, and ukulele.
The machete is a type of cavaquinho from Madeira. It was an earlier version of the modern ukulele. A style of machete from Braga is called a braguinha.
The minhoto cavaquinho is connected to the Minho region in Portugal. It is similar to the viola braguesa. Its neck is at the same level as the body. Like the viola braguesa, the minhoto’s sound hole was usually shaped like a stylized ray (a type of fish). This shape is called “raia” in Portuguese.
International use
Different types of cavaquinho have been adapted in various regions. These include versions used in Brazil, Cape Verde, and Madeira. The Caribbean cuatro family and Hawaiian ukuleles were both influenced by the cavaquinho.
The Brazilian cavaquinho is slightly larger than the Portuguese version and looks like a small classical guitar. Its neck is raised above the sound box, and the sound hole is usually round, similar to those in Lisbon and Madeira.
The cavaquinho plays an important role in Brazilian samba and choro music. It is played with a pick, using complex rhythmic strumming patterns that connect rhythm and harmony. Notable players and composers include Waldir Azevedo, Paulinho da Viola, and Mauro Diniz.
In Cape Verde, the cavaquinho was introduced from Brazil in the 1930s. The modern Cape Verdean cavaquinho is similar in size and tuning to the Brazilian version. It is often used as a rhythmic instrument in music styles like morna, coladeira, and mazurka, though it can also be used for melodies.
The Hawaiian ukulele has four strings and a shape similar to the cavaquinho, but it is usually tuned to G, C, E, and A. The ukulele became an important part of Hawaiian music and spread to the United States in the early 1900s. It was developed from the braguinha and rajão, which were brought to Hawaii by Portuguese immigrants from Madeira Island in the late 1800s.
The machete was introduced to Hawaii by Augusto Dias, Manuel Nunes, and João Fernandes in 1879, which helped shape the ukulele’s development.
The cuatro is a family of larger four-stringed instruments based on the cavaquinho. These are popular in Caribbean and Latin American countries. The Venezuelan cuatro is similar to the Brazilian cavaquinho, with a neck that sits level with the sound box, like the Portuguese cavaquinho.
Origins
The origins of the Portuguese instrument are hard to determine. Scholar Gonçalo Sampaio believes the cavaquinho and the guitar may have been brought to Braga by the Biscayans. He suggests that the Minho region’s ancient and Hellenistic musical scales may have been influenced by the survival of Greek traditions among the ancient Gallaeci people. He also points out the connection between this instrument and the Hellenistic tetrachords.