Viola Brasileira Strings
The viola brasileira is a small folk guitar from Brazil and is a descendant of the Portuguese viola caipira. Unlike the viola caipari tuning, the Brazilian viola tuning is not standardized, but it is used to play Caipira music. The tuning variation of the instrument is most likely due to Brazil’s size with each region developing its own tuning. The instrument is also played in different ways, depending on the region.
The viola brasileira features 10 strings in five paired courses. The top two treble courses are tuned in unison, while the bottom three courses are tuned in various octaves. To accommodate the regional differences in Brazilian viola tuning, D’Addario has designed three different viola brasileira string sets. Each features plain steel strings for the paired courses but different sizes of nickel-plated wound strings for the lower courses. Although the strings provide the clarity and bright tone of the instrument, the ideal string set will depend on the tuning the player prefers.
The viola brasileira features 10 strings in five paired courses. The top two treble courses are tuned in unison, while the bottom three courses are tuned in various octaves. To accommodate the regional differences in Brazilian viola tuning, D’Addario has designed three different viola brasileira string sets. Each features plain steel strings for the paired courses but different sizes of nickel-plated wound strings for the lower courses. Although the strings provide the clarity and bright tone of the instrument, the ideal string set will depend on the tuning the player prefers.
