How the tiple makes its sound
In the Hornbostel–Sachs system, which classifies instruments by how they produce sound, the tiple 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.
Its timbre – the colour that lets you tell it apart from other instruments playing the same note – comes from the mix of overtones its body and resonator emphasise.
From Wikipedia
A tiple, is a particular type of guitar, typically with 10 or 12 strings but sometimes fewer, and is built in several distinct regional styles. A tiple player is called a tiplista. The first written mention of an instrument called "tiple" comes from musicologist Pablo Minguet e Irol in 1752. The 12-string Colombian tiple is considered the country's national instrument. The Puerto Rican tiple characteristically has fewer than twelve strings, as do those from Cuba, Mallorca, and North America.
Other lutes
Frequently asked questions
What does a tiple 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 tiple?
It is classified as lutes (Hornbostel–Sachs 321.322-5).
Sources & credits
- Wikidata Q2300910 – CC0
- Wikipedia: Tiple – CC BY-SA 4.0
- Image by Andrés Cabrera – CC BY-SA 3.0