The requinto jarocho or guitarra de son is

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.

Characteristics

The requinto jarocho is shaped like a guitar with a small body. The body, neck and tuning head is made from one piece of wood. It has a shallow body, and a slightly raised fingerboard. It also has 12

frets A fret is any of the thin strips of material, usually metal wire, inserted laterally at specific positions along the neck or fretboard of a stringed instrument. Frets usually extend across the full width of the neck. On some historical instrume ...

. The four-stringed requinto jarocho can follow the standard tuning of (ADGc), but is also commonly tuned to GADg and CDGc. The five-stringed requinto, however, adds a string above the standard tuning 5 half-steps below the initial first string, making it EADGc. The requinto jarocho strings are made of

nylon Nylon is a generic designation for a family of synthetic polymers composed of polyamides ( repeating units linked by amide links).The polyamides may be aliphatic or semi-aromatic. Nylon is a silk-like thermoplastic, generally made from petro ...

; when played it sounds like the bottom four strings of a

classical guitar The classical guitar (also known as the nylon-string guitar or Spanish guitar) is a member of the guitar family used in classical music and other styles. An acoustic wooden string instrument with strings made of gut or nylon, it is a precursor o ...

Gallery

Espigas para puntear Guitarra de son o requinto jaroch.jpg, pick to play requinto Guitarra de son recargada.jpg, Guitarra de son or Requinto.

References

Mexican musical instruments Guitar family instruments Jarocho {{Guitar-stub