Notes on the Cuatro

The Cuatro is a four-string instrument from Venezuela. It is often used for playing a folk style of music called "Joropo".

It is used in Venezuela and East Colombia.

The Cuatro is a close relative of the Portuguese Cavaquinho, or the Ukelele.

The standard tuning for the Cuatro is D6-tuning : A-D-F#-B, like a Ukelele on 2nd fret, except that the re-entrant string is the 1st, tuned one octave lower.

The following table shows the standard tuning for the Cuatro:

The B string is tuned one octave lower than expected. This is called the "re-entrant tuning".

Some performers prefer the higher A4 tuning for the 4th string. This is called the "linear tuning" (but is prune to breakage).

There are also some alternative tunings, which we won't cover here.

To produce different notes, press a string on one of the frets with the left hand, and pluck it with the right hand.

The following chart shows the notes produced by each string, when pressed on each fret: