Cuban Tres - The 3 string guitar from Cuba
Ranked #920 in Music, #23,771 overall
The Cuban Tres is Not a Guitar!
The first thing to understand about the Cuban Tres is that it is a rhythm instrument. Even though it looks like a Guitar, the actual playing of it is rhythmic with melodic lines. Chords are seldom "strummed", and in many styles the Tres strengthens the melody line a 3rd or a 6th above with rhythmic fills in between.
Here is a site with much more information about the Cuban tres - El Tres Cubano.
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Tuning
There are two widely used tunings. Both are 2nd inversions of either a C or D chord. Traditionally, the tres was tuned to G,C,E or a C chord. Many treseros are now using a D tuning.Another inconsistency is the use of octave in the tuning, in Oriente (Eastern Cuba), most treseros tune both the G and E strings in octaves, whereas in Oeste (Western Cuba) the trend is to only have the G string doubled. See the following tuning chart for a visual representation.
Basic Son Montuno Pattern for Cuban Tres
The following example is a simple montuno pattern that can be used on a 1,4,5,4 progression (for example F - Bb - C - Bb) Many traditional songs use this pattern, Son De La Loma coming to mind first. Please note you can also play these together as a variation. See more at the Salsa Blanca website, if you would like to learn even more about the tres and cuban music in general, you can check out my book El Tres Cubano.
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News From The Cuban Music World
Links on the Cuban Tres and Cuba
El Tres Cubano|The Cuban Tres, Learn to play Cuban Tres|Spanish & English
Learn about the wonderful Cuban instrument "e more...1 point
Cuban Tres - The 3 string guitar instrument from Cuba
No one is quite sure when or where the first instr more...0 points
http://fernandezmusic.com/TresCubano.html
The best source in the USA to buy a Cuban Tres. Ro more...0 points
Salsa Music: Clave Y Ritmo
All about Salsa music. The building blocks, favori more...0 points
Punto Cubano - Peasant Music From the Western Part of Cuba
Description Punto Guajiro (also called Punto Cuban more...0 points
Cuban Cooking - Learn the Secrets
One of the things that most people don't understan more...0 points
Grupo Ban Rarra - Music and Dance From Guantanamo Cuba
Grupo Bán Rarra was formed in 1994 by Isaias Roja more...0 points
African Languages
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Links About the Cuban Tres & Music
- Punto Cubano - Peasant Music From the Western Part of Cuba
- Punto Guajiro (also called Punto Cubano) is the country music from the Western and Central provinces of Cuba. This style began to become popular around the end of the 18th century, mainly as a social event. Remember that in the east there were changuis, in Havana and Matanzas there were rumba's. The punto is the same thing, a party in which the music played became a genre.
- Grupo Ban Rarra - Music and Dance From Guantanamo Cuba
- Grupo Bán Rarra was formed in 1994 by Isaias Rojas Ramirez. He is the groups choreographer, researcher and also a musician and dancer. Sr Rojas is a graduate of the Instituto Superior de Artes de Cuba (ESA).
- Cuban Ethnomusicology - Instruments, Music and Culture of Cuba
- Cuba has a unique musical and cultural foundation. With it's blend of African and European culture, music is a fusion of the rythmic concepts of Africa and the harmonic concepts of Europe.
- Fernandez Music Home Page
- Importers of Esteve, Juan Hernandez, Felix Manzanero and Vicente Sanchis classical, flamenco, requintos, and children's guitars.
Portuguese guitars. Videos on Guitarmaking, French Polishing and Guitar Care. Fustero Guitar Tuners. Flamenco Tap Plates.
Luthier Accessories.
Reader Feedback
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knowaboutcuba
Dec 8, 2011 @ 9:12 pm | delete
- Quite informative lens, thanks for posting!
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Wayne_Jordan
Sep 21, 2011 @ 9:24 am | delete
- The headpiece of the Tres looks like that of a six-string guitar. I can't see the stringing well; Are the strings placed in the 1,3,5 position of a six-string guitar? If so, do you need to adjust the bridge and nut to center the strings?
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tresero
Dec 4, 2011 @ 8:27 pm | delete
- Wayne,
Yes, the short answer is that if you are going to modify a normal guitar, you would use the 1, 3 and 5 positions. It is not that easy though because a real tres is like a 3/4 size guitar or requinto (with steel strings though).
If you just want to learn, then modifying a guitar will be perfect, but for a truly authentic sound you need the right scale.
I hope that helps,
Jon
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Photahsiamirabel
Jun 1, 2011 @ 5:07 am | delete
- Good to see a guitar lens that actually DOES have something new and interesting to show! Blessed today :)
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tresero
Sep 21, 2011 @ 10:48 am | delete
- Thanks for the compliments! I have a few more up my sleeve as well.
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- Load More
by tresero
Jon Griffin has been playing music since he was 7 years old and runs Salsa Blanca. He is active in writing, both music books like El Tres Cubano He went... more »
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