Cuatro (instrument)

In Puerto Rico and Venezuela, the cuatro is an ensemble instrument for secular and religious music, and is played at parties and traditional gatherings.

The Puerto Rican cuatro has ten strings in five courses, tuned in fourths from low to high, with B and E in octaves and A, D, and G in unisons: B3 B2 — E4 E3 — A3 A3 — D4 D4 — G4 G4 .

The genres of music where the cuatro's presence is really known in Plena, the Trova, the Aguinaldo and the Seis that were created in Puerto Rico.

Some of the aguinaldos and seises created in Puerto Rico are: The cuatro of Venezuela has four single nylon strings, tuned A3–D4–F♯4–B3 .

The cuatro is widely used in ensembles in Jamaica, Mexico, and Suriname to accompany singing and dancing.

In Saint Lucia the cuatro is used as an accompanying instrument in traditional Sewenal music at Christmas time.