Help ID an instrument used in Canary Island music

[FrDNicholas]

I just saw a video of music from the Canary Islands. There were a family of instruments, different ranges, like the mandolin family. They had 6 double strings, I couldn't tell how they were tuned. They had a thick body that was pear shaped. The higher range had a short neck, connected at about the 7-8 fret. The lower range had longer necks. Does this sound familiar to anyone? Anyone know the name of these instruments? Thanks.

[Jim Garber]

At first I thought you were referring to timples which are sort of like ukuleles, but I think you must be referring to laud/bandurria-type instruments similar to ones from Spain. Maybe you could post a link to that video?

[man dough nollij]

Gotta love the search function on YouTube!

[man dough nollij]

Here's a better one:

[Jim Garber]

Those two instruments in the very beginning are laud and bandurria -- both look exactly like the ones from Spain. I think the guy in the back at around 2:00 is playing a timble.

Of course Guantanamera is not a traditional Canary Islands tune.

[allenhopkins]

I think the guy in the back at around 2:00 is playing a timble.

Can't find "timble" in my lexicon, could you mean tiple, pronounced "tipple" in the US, "tiplee" in South America? It's a small guitar-bodied instrument, with ten strings in four courses, 2-3-3-2. The lower three courses have octaved strings. I own two, Martin T-15 and an old Regal. Fun instrument, sounds like a baby 12-string....

But --

I don't think that's the instrument being played in the video. I'd guess a braguinha, Portuguese ancestor of the ukulele.


And you're dead right about Guantanamera. From Cuba, lyrics by the Cuban poet Jose Marti. And it means "girl from Guantanamo"; interesting in the current context of that location!

[FrDNicholas]

Does anyone know how the laud and bandurria are tuned?

[whistler]

[QUOTE=allenhopkins;695406]Can't find "timble" in my lexicon, could you mean tiple, pronounced "tipple" in the US, "tiplee" in South America? It's a small guitar-bodied instrument, with ten strings in four courses, 2-3-3-2. The lower three courses have octaved strings. I own two, Martin T-15 and an old Regal. Fun instrument, sounds like a baby 12-string....

These instruments - and their names - no doubt have many variants throughout the Spanish-speaking world (...We only need to think of the variety of local dialects and musical traditions within Spain itself), so it is quite possible that there is an instrument called a timble or timple somewhere.

I think the proper pronunciation of tiple would be something like TEE-pleh. I believe the name is connected with the word triple, as it was originally a three-stringed instrument.


However, I am inclined to agree with Jim, that the instruments in the video are bandurria and laùd, both popular instruments in Spain for accompanying ballad singing.

[David Casal]

http://www.arrabel.net/instrumentos/bandurria/afina/afina.htm

the tunning of bandurria and laud

[Jason Kessler]

That's not a charango in the background at 2:00?

[lucho]

The plectrum instruments used by the sabandeños are the ones used by tunas and estudiantinas everywhere.... bandurria/laud family, plus guitars and axes such as
that little one above the tenor laúd player/singer. it is a Timple, a 5 string canarian instrument very alike to the charango but with flat back, a bit longer scale length and with very close standard tuning with first string down to D.
I do have a collections of hispanic citterns, and they change somewhat from country to country.... check http://festivalpo.blogspot.com/2009/08/hispanic-citterns-again.html
salu2.