Venezuelan music – traditional styles and music genres
Venezuelan music is a mix of genres and styles that represents Venezuelan’s identity at the deepest level imaginable. The multicultural approach to music that has happened during the history of Venezuela is so interesting that, despite the fact that any person born in Venezuela could recognize Venezuelan music by just listening to a few seconds […]
Basic Ukulele Chords that you can easily learn to play
Here you can see a few basic Uke chords that you can learn quickly and easy and use when you’re looking for songs to play with your Ukulele. We’ve divided the chords by Key and grouped them by progressions so you can have a more logical way of learning them by groups that are normally […]
TuCuatro brings more musical instruments to the family!
TuCuatro releases a multi-instrument feature. Today we’re releasing a new tool to help you learn these songs that you love, using your favorite musical instrument. Now for each song at TuCuatro you will be able to select and change the instrument and see, in real-time, the song’s chords for that specific musical instrument. Learning chords […]
Is the Cavaquinho a Guitar from Brazil? Learn about this instrument
The Brazilian Cavaquinho sometimes gets confused with sort of a classical guitar or with the Portuguese Cavaquinho, but this could not be far from the truth. The stringed musical instrument is unique and with features of its own that are easily recognizable by any Brazilian musician. This little instrument from Brazil is of considerable importance […]
Cavaquinho and Cavaco Songs from Brazil
Do you play Cavaquinho? Here you will be able to see the lyrics and learn the chords of your favorite Brazilian songs. Play genres like Samba, Bossa with your Cavaquinho musical instrument. All songs at TuCuatro show the chord figures for various instruments, including the Cavaquinho, so be sure to select your instrument before you […]
The History of the Cuatro Guitar Instrument
The Venezuelan cuatro has its origins in Europe. The history of this wonderful instrument starts many centuries ago with the expansion of the popularity of the Spanish Guitar, an instrument that used to have 4 strings. The Spanish Guitar traveled to South America and was transformed in many different instruments that now are part of […]
Celebrating 10 years of TuCuatro
For the past 10 years, TuCuatro has been at the forefront of pioneering how we learn to play the Venezuelan Cuatro. With an online learning portal dedicated to the teachings of the Venezuelan Cuatro, TuCuatro has built a solid foundation that has secured the future of the cuatro and it’s teachings on a global scale. […]
How to upload your own song lyrics to TuCuatro?
If you know the lyrics and chords for a song you can upload it by using our upload song tool at our website. This upload tool is available for anybody with a free account. This is a very useful resource that our TuCuatro musicians and teachers have been using to create material for our students. […]
How to choose a musical instrument: classifications at TuCuatro
It could be tricky to choose a musical instrument from a variety when you have to consider so many factors, like the type of woods, the quality of work of a manufacturer, the sound that the instrument produces, etc. That’s why we want you to know how we’ve divided the type of instruments that we […]
How do I know if a Cuatro is good?
Before buying an instrument, it is critical that you assure that the quality of the instrument is good enough and that it tunes correctly in all frets. Our teachers and musicians are constantly helping customers at the TuCuatro Store by reviewing each instrument to guarantee the quality of the sound. One of the most used […]
Anna Zayats plays “Cassiopeia” – a Balalaika composition
For all the Balalaika music lovers! Today we invite you to listen to this beautiful instrumental Balalaika composition called “Cassiopeia”, by the musician Anna Zayats. Enjoy this beautiful musical piece by Anna Zayats called “Cassiopeia”, played with a Balalaika, an instrument from Russia, that we also like here at TuCuatro. Our team has put together […]
I Don’t Have a Venezuelan Cuatro and Have No Clue How To Get One
If you do not have one yet and don’t have an idea on how to get a cuatro, we are here to help. The Cuatro is a folkloric musical instrument that has seen a rise in popularity in the past two decades. More musicians than ever are playing the instrument, and we’re there for the […]
Parts of the Cuatro
Get to know your Cuatro. This lesson explains the different parts of the Cuatro. It is essential to be able to describe your instrument and also to get to know it. Each Cuatro has specific characteristics and attributes. By using these features, you will be able to orientate yourself on your instrument. So if on […]
Popular artists using the Cuatros
There are popular composers and famous artists for the Cuatro. These are slightly different, and most of these persons have some sort of affiliation with Venezuela. The most famous being Simon Diaz who has brought incredible masterpieces such as Caballo Viejo (international versions derived from this song are The Gypsy Kings “Bamboleo”) who brings the […]
Musical Instruments relatives of the Cuatro
On this occasion, we will go over a couple of instruments that can be considered as relatives to the Cuatro. There are many more than this, but the most popular or known cousins of the Cuatro are: The Ukulele The ukulele originated in the 19th century as a Hawaiian interpretation of the machete, a small […]
String or percussion instrument?
The answer, BOTH! Many string instruments can be played by making specific strums or hitting the wood. For most instruments, this is optional, but the Cuatro needs this kind of love! There is nothing like strumming regularly in combination with dry strums (known as chasquidos or frenados) and knocking on a specific area of the Cuatro […]
The Modern Cuatro
New Teaching Methods The Cuatro is no longer an instrument people keep hanging on their walls as an adornment. It is an instrument admired by many and has specific characteristics. The Cuatro player also has certain features. The Cuatro player is persistent, agile and can play from a nice and simple accompaniment to a soloist […]
A New Kind of Sound – The Electric Cuatro
As with other musical instruments, a new age of innovation and interpretation by modern luthiers and artists has made possible upgrades for this instrument. Out of this has come to fruition a new kind of instrument called the Electric Cuatro. This type of Cuatro replicates the sound and tuning of a traditional Cuatro but differs […]
Are there live lessons in TuCuatro?
From time to time we will be organizing live lessons. This has been a great success in the past where many students opt for participation, and we have a growing audience in YouTube who also enjoy watching the lessons and contributing in the form of comments and encouragement. The live sessions will always relate to […]
Is the cuatro only used in South America?
All this talk about the Cuatro’s presence in South America. Believe us; it is not the only place! Many interpretations of music are made across the globe, and this will continue to grow. YouTube is bringing us all closer, and we invite everyone to play with TuCuatro, share your progression and your music. Have a […]
What is a Cuatro? Stringed Musical Instrument
What is the Venezuelan Cuatro? The Venezuelan cuatro is a string musical instrument from the plains shared between Venezuela and Colombia. The Cuatro is considered the national instrument of Venezuela. This instrument is mainly used for a folk music style called Joropo, which gets to be popular in the plains, but it is also vastly […]
What kind of music is traditionally played with the Cuatro?
Traditionally, the Cuatro is used as an accompaniment instrument to the harp & maracas. The combination of this ensemble creates music genres such as Joropo which is typical folklore music from the lowlands of Colombia & Venezuela. To the Joropo genre, there are several sub-categories such as San Rafael and Gaban, all of which will […]
What types of Cuatros are available and who makes them?
The quality of the Cuatro (as for any musical instrument) has a direct impact on the sound and smoothness during playing. There are exceptions to the rule, as you can get some incredible sound out of lesser quality Cuatros. It is only once you get into playing and try a Cuatro of higher quality than […]
Where is the Cuatro played?
Historically, Colombia and Venezuela…..recently WORLDWIDE!! Although the Cuatro is most popular in its region of origin, the intoxicating sounds of the instruments and incredible possibilities have spread. Modern artists such as Jorge Glem and Carlos Capacho have presented the possibilities of the instrument on an international level, but still a long way to go. There […]