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This particular page was created 15/03/2004 and last updated 15/03/2006
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| | Data:- Body shape: Oval
- Top: Flat
- Back: Flat or arched
- Bridge: Floating
- Frets: Fixed chromatic
- Strings: 12
- Courses: 6 ( 2 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 2)
An alto-sized cittern very similar to the English guitar.
Many experts claim that the Portuguese guitar is a direct descendant of its English counterpart. Others say it's a "genuine" Portuguese traditional instrument and that all similarities between the two are coincidental -or at least irrelevant.
Although the exact truth is not known, it's clear that both these views are too simple. Citterns of aproximately the same size and construction as the English and Portuguese guitars are known to have existed in both countries at least since the early 18th century and in both countries there are clear evidence of connections to earlier national cittern traditions. So the notion of one being the direct descendant of the other is clearly incorrect. On the other hand, the similarities between the two instruments are too numerous and too onvious to be written of as just coincidences.
In the end, the most likely explanation is that the two citterns originated from origin more or less native to the two countries they are named after and that durign the centuries they evolved, inspired and influenced by each other.
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