Tiple
String instrument | |
---|---|
Classification | String instrument (plucked) |
Hornbostel–Sachs classification | 321.322 (Composite chordophone) |
Playing range | |
C3 - A5 | |
Related instruments | |
Colombian tiple, Timple |
A tiple (Spanish pronunciation: , and is considered the national instrument. The Puerto Rican version characteristically has fewer strings, as do variants from Cuba, Mallorca, and elsewhere among countries of Hispanic origin.
Tiple family
Colombian tiple
The Colombian tiple (in Spanish:
David Pelham says of the Colombian tiple: "The tiple is a Colombian adaptation of the Renaissance Spanish vihuela brought to the New World in the 16th century by the Spanish conquistadors. At the end of the 19th century, it evolved to its present shape. Its twelve strings are arranged in four groups of three: the first group consists of three steel strings tuned to E, the second, third and fourth groups have a copper string in the middle of two steel strings. The central ones are tuned one octave lower than the surrounding strings of the group. This arrangement produces the set of harmonics that gives the instrument its unique voice.[2] Outside of Colombia the "copper" strings are more often standard brass or bronze wound steel guitar strings.
Another variant, the tiple Colombiano requinto, is often simply called tiple requinto. This instrument is about 10-15% smaller than the tiple Colombiano, and the central octave strings of the larger instrument are tuned in unisions, giving either a C4 C4 C4 • E4 E4 E4 • A4 A4 A4 • D4 D4 D4 tuning (traditional), or a D4 D4 D4 • G4 G4 G4 • B4 B4 B4 • E4 E4 E4 tuning (modern). The tiple requinto is sometimes made in more of a violin or "hourglass" shape, than a guitar shape. These differences give it a generally thinner, higher-pitched sound than the tiple Colombiano, even though most of its tuning is in the same range as the larger instrument.[3]
Puerto Rican tiples
The tiple is the smallest of the three string instruments of
The main types of tiple in Puerto Rico are:
- Tiple requinto de la montaña - a tiny version of the tiple doliente with only three strings. It is usually smaller than 12 inches.
- Tiple requinto costanero - a smaller version of the tiplón with only three strings. It is usually about 15 inches in length.
- Tiple doliente - this tiple has 5 single strings and is the most common used today. It is usually about 15 inches in length.
- Tiplón or tiple con macho - a larger version of the tiple with a fifth string peg like an American banjo, located on its neck. It is usually about 21 inches in length.
- Tiple grande de Ponce - the largest version (about 21 inches in length) with 5 strings. It is considered a link between tiples and bordonuas. It is sometimes also called "bordonua chiquita" (small bordonua).[5]
The tiple that is now most often played in Puerto Rico is the tiple doliente. It has recently acquired a more or less fixed body shape narrowing at the top and having 5 metal strings (see the accompanying photo). It is usually made like the cuatro, so either constructed like a guitar, or from one piece of wood hollowed out. The bottom half of the body is rounded like a guitar, however the top half is square, or triangular. All other features (like neck and bridge) resemble the construction of a normal Spanish guitar. The peghead has tuning machines either from the side or from the back. The strings of the tiple doliente are tuned: E3 A3 D4 G4 C5.
Tiple Venezolano
This tiple from Venezuela, looks like a smaller version of the Colombian Tiple. It has 4 sets of triple strings and is also known as the Guitarro, Guitarro Segundo, and the Segunda Guitarra. There is another tiple played in Venezuela but is a member of the Venezuelan Cuatro family of instruments, also called a tiple and known as the Cinco y Medio or Cinco. It is very much like the Cuatro but it has 5 strings instead of four.[6]
Tiple de Menorca
On the Spanish Balearic island of Menorca, a tiple is an instrument with five single nylon strings.[6]
Tiple Cubano
A tiple Cubano, has five doubled courses of strings, ten in total.[6]
Tiple de Santo Domingo
The tiple de Santo Domingo, also known as tiple Dominicano or tiple, also has five doubled courses, for ten in total. The strings are steel. It is tuned C4, F4, A#4, D5, G5. All of the courses are tuned in unison.[6]
Tiple Peruano
Peru has a tiple with four single or doubled steel strings. It is tuned A3, E4, B4, F#5.[6]
Tiples in Uruguay and Argentina
In Uruguay and Argentina, sometimes the requinto guitar is called a tiple.[6]
Other versions
U.S. / N. American / Martin tiple
The North American tiple was designed in 1919 by the Pennsylvania guitar company
- A4 A3 • D4 D3 D4 • F#4 F#3 F#4 • B3 B3 (wound octave-lower strings are A3, D3, and F#3).
A more recent manufacturer of similar instruments recommends tuning a full tone lower, as mentioned below, similar to contemporary ukuleles.
Martin produced mahogany and rosewood bodied tiples, following a model-identification system similar to its guitars: T-15 and T-17, mahogany top, back and sides; T-18, spruce top, mahogany back and sides; T-28, spruce top, rosewood back and sides; T-45, spruce top, rosewood back and sides, fancy abalone inlay. Martin's tiple production continued off-and-on into the 1970s.[7]
Similar instruments were made by Regal, Harmony, Lyon & Healy, Oscar Schmidt, D'Angelico and other companies during the early decades of Martin production.[8]
In the 21st century, the Ohana ukulele company began manufacturing an all-mahogany tiple similar to the Martin, but calling it "a vintage ukulele inspired by the Columbian Tiple." The company recommended tuning with the lowest note a C. (G3 G4 – C4 C3 C4 – E4 E3 E4 – A4 A4)[9]
In addition to its original ukulele-style tuning (above), the American tiple sometimes has been tuned like the upper four courses of the guitar, presumably with special sets of strings.[10]
- Martin tiple dimensions
- [11]
- Overall length: 27 +1⁄4″
- Body length: 12 +1⁄16″
- Bout width, upper: 6 +5⁄8″
- Bout width, lower: 8 +15⁄16″
- Body depth, upper: 3 +1⁄16″
- Body depth, lower: 3 +9⁄16″
- Neck width at nut: 1 +1⁄2″
- Fingerboard width: 1 +3⁄4″ at 12th fret
- Sound hole diameter: 2 +5⁄8″
- Scale length: 17″
North American tiple performers:
- Four Virginians[12]
- Cats and the Fiddle
- Spirits of Rhythm
- Timmie Rogers
- Ed Askew
Electric tiples
Electric tiples usually follow either the Colombian (12-string) or "Martin" (10-string) tuning and string arrangement.[citation needed]
Related instruments
Spanish tiples
In Spain there are similar instruments. This tiny guitar has four strings and is found in Menorca. Other types of small guitars in Spain are the guitarra, guitarro and guitarrico.[13]
Portuguese tiples
Related Portuguese instruments are the cavaquinho or braguinha and the rajâo. The braguinha and the rajâo taken to Hawai'i by Portuguese immigrants from Madeira are the forerunners of the ukulele.
Canary Island timple
Migrating from North Africa in the 16th century to the Canary Islands[citation needed] and then on to Murcia, the timple has become the traditional instrument of the Canaries. In La Palma and in the north of the island of Tenerife some players omit the fifth string, tuning the timple like a ukulele, though nowadays this is often seen as non-standard by players in other regions where five strings are preferred. The popular tiple tuning is GCEAD.[13]
Other instruments
The word "tiple" basically means "treble" or "high pitched", and has been used occasionally for the names of other instruments not directly members of the tiple-family proper. One such is the Marxochime Hawaiian tiple, which bears no resemblance to the traditional tiples, but looks like (and is) a variety of zither. It is played with a combination of plucking, strumming, and playing with a slide similar to a lap steel guitar. The instrument is one of many zither variants marketed within the United States during the early 20th century, of which only the autoharp ever achieved lasting popularity. The instrument, also known as the "Tremola", carries the "Hawaiian tiple" name solely for marketing purposes, as interest in Hawaiian music and culture was high in mainland America during the period when the instrument was marketed.[14]
References
- ^ Zuluanga, David Puerta; Los Caminos del Tiple [The Evolution of the Tiple]; DamelPublishers; Bogota, Colombia: 1988. 208pp.
- ^ Morales, Abadia; Instrumentos Musicales del Folklore Colombiano [Musical Instruments of Colombian Folklore]; Banco Popular; Bogota, Colombia: 1991.
- ^ Davison, Harry C.; Diccionario Folklorico de Colombia: Musica, Instrumentos y Danza [Dictionary of Folklore in Colombia: Music, Instruments, and Dance]; Banco de Republica; Bogoto, Colombia: 1970.
- ^ "Puerto Rico's Tiples". Retrieved 30 November 2018.
- ^ "A Bouquet of Tiples!". Retrieved 30 November 2018.
- ^ a b c d e f "Ficha del Tiple". pacoweb.net. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
- ^ "Martin tiple T-17 & T-15 models". martintiple.blogspot.co.uk. November 2011.
- ^ "tiple". jakewildwood.blogspot.com.
- ^ "tiple". ohana-music.com.
- ^ "tunings-strings". martintiple.blogspot.com.
- ^ "Is one of the Martin ukulele bodies the same size?". umgf.com. 3 October 2016. t181709.
- ^ "Four Virginians with tiple". boblog.blogspot.com. 9 May 2017.
- ^ a b Sánchez, Juanma. "Instrumentos Tradicionales Ibéricos". www.tamborileros.com. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
- ^ "Marxochime Hawaiian Tiple". www.planetgaa.com. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
Resources and sources
Colombian tiple:
- Puerta's tremendous tiple touch
- Colombian luthier Alberto Paredes
- Paredes, A., Mottola, R.M. “Construction of the Colombian Tiple”, American Lutherie #90, 2007, p. 40.
Puerto Rican tiple:
- The Puerto Rican Tiple
- The Tiples of Puerto Rico
- ATLAS of Plucked Instruments
- El Tiple Puertorriqueño (In Spanish)
Spanish tiple:
Timple Canario:
- El Timple (In Spanish)
- [1] Learn TIMPLE (Spanish)
Tiple Cubano:
Tiple Dominicano, Tiple Argentino, Banjo Tiple, Tiple Uruguayo, and the Tiple Venezolano:
Marxochime Hawaiian Tiple: