The term requinto is used in both

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: ** Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Ca ...

and Portuguese to mean a smaller, higher-pitched version of another instrument. Thus, there are ''requinto''

guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected string ...

s, drums, and several

wind instrument A wind instrument is a musical instrument that contains some type of resonator (usually a tube) in which a column of air is set into vibration by the player blowing into (or over) a mouthpiece set at or near the end of the resonator. The pitc ...

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 The E-flat (E) clarinet is a member of the clarinet family, smaller than the more common B clarinet and pitched a perfect fourth higher. It is typically considered the sopranino or piccolo member of the clarinet family and is a transposing inst ...

, also known as ''requint'' in

Valencian language Valencian () or Valencian language () is the official, historical and traditional name used in the Valencian Community (Spain), and unofficially in the El Carche comarca in Murcia (Spain), to refer to the Romance language also known as Catalan ...

. ''Requinto'' can also mean a high-pitched flute (akin to a

piccolo The piccolo ( ; Italian for 'small') is a half-size flute and a member of the woodwind family of musical instruments. Sometimes referred to as a "baby flute" the modern piccolo has similar fingerings as the standard transverse flute, but the s ...

), or the person who plays it. In

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, the word may refer to a wooden

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-like instrument held sideways.

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." ''Requinto'' guitars are also used throughout

Latin America Latin America or * french: Amérique Latine, link=no * ht, Amerik Latin, link=no * pt, América Latina, link=no, name=a, sometimes referred to as LatAm is a large cultural region in the Americas where Romance languages — languages derived ...

. ''Requintos'' made in

Mexico Mexico ( Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guate ...

have a deeper body than a standard classical guitar ( as opposed to ). ''Requintos'' made in

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' ( Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...

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 Plucked string instruments are a subcategory of string instruments that are played by plucking the strings. Plucking is a way of pulling and releasing the string in such a way as to give it an impulse that causes the string to vibrate. Plucki ...

, played usually with a special pick. It is a four- or five-stringed instrument that has originated from

Veracruz Veracruz (), formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave), is one of the 31 states which, along with Me ...

, Mexico. The ''requinto'' is used in

conjunto jarocho The term ''conjunto'' (, literally 'group', 'ensemble') refers to several types of small musical ensembles present in different Latin American musical traditions, mainly in Mexico and Cuba. While Mexican conjuntos play styles such as '' norteño' ...

ensembles. In the absence of the '' arpa'', 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.

References

External links

Requinto Guitars makers in Paracho, MexicoThe requinto on Hampshire Guitar Orchestra website
{{guitars Guitar family instruments Spanish musical instruments String instruments