What is this ten string resonator instrument?

[Wade Hampton]

A few days ago I read a review on the NY Times website of a Brazilian movie called "Bacurau." It's set in a small, backwater Brazilian town, far from anywhere, and looks like an interesting flick.

Below is a still photo from the movie.

Do any of you have any idea what the instrument the guy in the front of the funeral procession is playing might be?

I know that the Brazilians have nylon string resonator guitars - Chet Atkins was kind of a champion for them and used them on some recordings. But I was hoping that someone with some background in Brazilian music might have an idea of what, exactly, this instrument is called when it's in this ten string configuration and how it's tuned.

Thanks in advance if you can tell us anything.


Wade Hampton Miller

[Wade Hampton]

I dug and did a little research, and the brand name of the nylon string resonator instruments made in Brazil that Chet Atkins loved and used were the Del Vecchio resonator guitars.

Here Chet is playing "The Hawaiian Wedding Song" on one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WE8RbumKkjo

That still doesn't answer my question about the one being played in the photo, though.


whm

[Silly Moustache]

Yeah, I've seen these things but not had the pleasure if you understand. I had always thought that they appear to be resonators but weren't, but I was wrong - they do have a single cone.

Most videos show them with some sort of pick-up in the body, so I guess some ha steel strings and some had nylon strings ?

There are so many other incarnations of the guitar developed in other parts of the world - whilst I remember being serenaded once in a restaurant in the Canary islands (Lanzarote ?) by a Portuguese guitar, I confess I'm rather ignorant of all these other designs developed in so many places.

[Silly Moustache]

I know I'm going off subject bit, but I was captivated by the Fado singing of Marizza some time ago and her musicians.

There is a full concert in the video below, but if yu cut to 24.30 there is a brief showing of the Portuguese guitar and an beautiful instrumental piece.

See

[Explorer]

Viola caipira, or "country guitar."

[Wade Hampton]

Thanks, Explorer! That was the answer I needed to seek out more information on my own. What follows is some of what I've learned:

The viola caipira basically translates to "country guitar," and it is a widespread instrument used for Brazilian folk and country music.

Viola caipiras

Here's are some Del Vacchio resonator versions of the same instrument:

˙˙˙

In my search to learn more about the viola caipira, I stumbled across the website of this virtuoso of the instrument, Ricardo Viginini:

Here's the website address. It's worth visiting to read it and to listen to two of his compositions:

https://brasilcalling.wordpress.com/...viola-de-lata/

There are some twenty different tunings used for the viola caipira, depending on the region and the personal preferences of the player, but it appears that the most common tuning is an open G: GDGBD, low to high. The first two courses are tuned in unison, while the remaining three courses have octave strings.

Thanks again.


Wade Hampton Miller