Requinto guitar

Someone playing a requinto.

A classical guitar (left) and a requinto guitar (right)

A requinto guitar, also known as Quarte guitar,^[1] is a smaller version of a classical guitar, with a scale length between 52-54cm. It is tuned a fourth higher than a standard classical guitar, to A2-D3-G3-C4-E4-A4.^[2][3][4] They often, but not always, have a cutout to reach the higher frets.

Classical use

The requinto guitar is traditionally used in guitar orchestras, along with other sized guitars. The requinto is also used in songs of the Mexican culture like boleros and corridos, where the requinto plays a very big role in improvisation. The playing style of the requinto is very similar, in all the songs, and it is rarely played differently.^{[citation needed]}

Modern use

The requinto guitar is especially popular in Mexico and elsewhere in Latin America.^[5] In Mexico it is used in trío romántico groups.^[6]

Requintos made in Mexico have a deeper body than a standard classical guitar (110 millimetres [4+1⁄3 in] as opposed to 105 millimetres [4+1⁄8 in]). Requintos made in Spain tend to be of the same depth as the standard classical.^[3]

References

1. Schneider, John (1985). The Contemporary Guitar. University of California Press. p. 236. ISBN 978-0-520-04048-9. Retrieved 2025-11-09.
2. Josel, Seth F.; Tsao, Ming (2021-03-09). The Techniques of Guitar Playing. Bärenreiter-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7618-7239-0. Retrieved 2025-11-09.
3. Johnston, Richard; Simmons, Michael; Gerken, Teja; Ford, Frank (2005-04-01). Acoustic Guitar: The Composition, Construction, and Evolution of One of World's Most Beloved Instruments. Hal Leonard. p. 157. ISBN 978-1-4768-5258-4. Retrieved 2025-11-09.
4. "What Is a Requinto Guitar? The Definitive Guide [2022 Edition]". Student of Guitar. 2021-08-10. Retrieved 2025-11-10.
5. Sellers, Julie A. (2022). "From Radio Guarachita to El Tieto eShow : Bachata's Imagined Communities" (PDF). Latin American Research Review. 57 (2): 440–455. doi:10.1017/lar.2022.20. ISSN 1542-4278. Retrieved 2025-11-10.
6. Sturman, Janet (2015-12-22). The Course of Mexican Music. Routledge. p. 129. ISBN 978-1-317-55113-3. Retrieved 2025-11-09.

See also

• Media related to Requinto guitars at Wikimedia Commons
• Guitalele - A similar ukulele-guitar hybrid with the same tuning but a much smaller body.

External links

• "Edgar Vila Requinto Demo Video". YouTube. 2024-03-06. Retrieved 2025-11-10.