How the chitarra battente makes its sound
In the Hornbostel–Sachs system, which classifies instruments by how they produce sound, the chitarra battente belongs to the lutes: strings run parallel to a soundboard and along a neck – the family of the guitar, violin, sitar and oud.
More broadly it is one of the chordophones (string instruments), where sound comes from vibrating strings, amplified by a resonating body.
Players shape its sound through technique and materials; the resonating body filters the raw vibration, boosting some harmonics and damping others.
From Wikipedia
The chitarra battente (in Italian "strumming guitar", however "battente" literally means "beating" related to the fact that this guitar thumps the rhythm of the music) is a musical instrument, a chordophone of the guitar family. It is similar to the 5-course baroque guitar, but larger and typically strung with five double strings, traditionally made of brass, but currently - steel. Nowadays it is typically used by folk musicians, mainly in the southern Italian regions of Calabria, Apulia, Basilicata, and Campania, as well as in other areas of southern Italy; in past centuries the instrument was found in most of central and southern Italy.
Other lutes
Frequently asked questions
What does a chitarra battente sound like?
As one of the lutes, its sound comes from the way strings run parallel to a soundboard and along a neck.
What type of instrument is the chitarra battente?
It is classified as lutes (Hornbostel–Sachs 321.322).
Sources & credits
- Wikidata Q2297117 – CC0
- Wikipedia: Chitarra battente – CC BY-SA 4.0
- Image by Original uploader was Dani4P at it.wikipedia – CC BY-SA 3.0