Cavaquinho — Lutherie Encyclopedia

CavaquinhoType: instrumentA small four-string Portuguese instrument that is the ancestor of the ukulele and essential to Brazilian samba, choro, and Portuguese folk music.## History The cavaquinho (also called machete, braguinha, or cavaco) originated in northern Portugal, particularly the Braga and Minho regions, likely in the 16th or 17th century. Portuguese sailors and immigrants carried the instrument throughout the Portuguese colonial world. In Brazil, the cavaquinho became integral to choro and samba music in the 19th and 20th centuries. In Hawaii, Portuguese immigrants from Madeira brought a variant called the machete de braga, which Hawaiian craftsmen transformed into the ukulele in the 1880s. The cavaquinho thus stands as the ancestor of one of the world's most popular instruments while remaining a vital instrument in its own right in Portuguese and Brazilian musical traditions. ## Construction The cavaquinho is a small instrument, typically 20 to 22 inches in total length, with a scale length of approximately 12 to 13 inches. The body is a miniature guitar shape, usually 7 to 8 inches at the lower bout. Traditional Portuguese cavaquinhos have steel strings tuned D-G-B-D, while Brazilian cavaquinhos are steel-strung and tuned D-G-B-D or D-G-B-E. The top is spruce or cedar, with the back and sides typically made from mahogany, rosewood, or traditional Portuguese woods. Construction follows small guitar principles with simple bracing patterns. The neck is narrow with 17 metal frets, and the headstock features geared tuning machines. Brazilian cavaquinhos designed for choro and samba often feature slightly different proportions optimize…