Anyone ever played a Trembulo?

[Dusepo]

Many of you may know about my love of weird and wonderful ethnic instruments and my website about them.

Well, in my research, I came across an instrument called a Trembulo. I've never seen one, let alone heard one, but they apparently have 8 nylon or gut strings and are sometimes tuned in fifths. Sounds just like a fifths tuned taropatch uke or a nylon strung mandolin to me!

I am currently building one from the limited info I have. I tried building one before but never got that far. I was wondering if anyone else has heard of or played one?

[Jim Garber]

You mean like the ones described here (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trembulo)?

I am not too sure they are tuned in fifths -- looks more like fourths or some other variant. Looks similar to some Venezuelan instruments called bandolas.

[Dusepo]

You mean like the ones described here (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trembulo)?

I am not too sure they are tuned in fifths -- looks more like fourths or some other variant. Looks similar to some Venezuelan instruments called bandolas.

Yep, that's the one. On that Wiki page it says "Another non-traditional tuning is to tune in fifths like the mandolin family." and I also came across this book (http://www.amazon.com/Fingering-Mastery-scales-mandolin-fretboard/dp/1477475575) which says in the blurb "For all four-string fretted instruments tuned to fifths: mandolin, mandola, mandocello, tenor guitar, tenor banjo, bouzouki, trembulo, cura, domra, etc."

Also, Venezuelan Bandolas are tuned in fifths (or nearly so). The Bandola LLanera is tuned ADAE, whilst the Bandola Oriental is tuned either GDAE or ADAE.