Portuguese Guitar

Pluck paired steel strings in the right rhythm and ornaments to follow a melodic line over a fado song, with strumming and glissando touches.

Heritage note

Part of the living heritage of Portugal. Some forms of this practice carry deep meaning for the communities who keep it; here we describe the play and the craft only, with respect for its roots.

Origins

Usually placed in the era of Classical Worlds (about 1000 BCE to 500 CE), although its exact origins are uncertain, within the cultural world of Mediterranean.