Viola caipiria: Brazilian musical instrument

The viola caipira is a ten-string and five-course guitar, it is found in Brazil and commonly called by viola in the country. Unlike most other steel-string musical instrument its strings are plucked with the fingers of the right hand just like the method used for the classical and flamenco guitars rather than by the use of a plectrum.

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 The source of the viola caipira is very hard to understand, although evidence has suggested that it emanated from vihuela/ viola de mano which was imported to the new world by the Spanish and the Portuguese immigrants. The instrument has some similarities with the 5 course baroque guitar that evolved from the guitar. It is assumingly a descendant of one of the many folk guitars that have culturally been played in Portugal. Going by this, the viola braguesa and the viola amarantina are two kinds of instruments that have ten strings from the northern part of Portugal and they are closely related to the viola caipira. Some people have explained that the musical instrument is a Brazilian national musical instrument, although many have argued that the traditional instrument called the tambourine has the stronger claim. The Brazilian embassy in Washington noted a national flower among the official symbols of Brazil, but no musical instrument is listed. What is well-known is that the viola caipira was introduced in Sao Paulo before the violao and it is the basis for the musica caipira which is the Sao Paulo folk music.

Many tunings are used for the instrument but the open tuning is commonly used. This musical instrument is found in almost all the music of Brazil. It is mostly linked with caipira music with some forms of north-eastern music and with folkloric music. This instrument was once used to play urban music like the choro, samba and maxixe, although it has been replaced by the acoustic guitar.