The caquinho (cva-keen-yo) instrument comes in two basic forms:
The Portuguese, which is about the size of a soprano ukulele, and the Brazilian, which is around the size of a concert ukulele.
Both are heily featured in the Portuguese speaking world. A direct translation of the word caquinho in Portuguese means ‘little wood splinter’.
To help you tune your caquinho, I’ve included a set of diagrams under each of the popular tunings listed below.
These will include explanatory diagrams for the fingerboard (fretboard) layout, tuning the caquinho to a guitar or piano/keyboard, tuning a caquinho to itself by fretting at given intervals on the fingerboard, and standard staff notation.
To help get you started I’ve also included a selection of chords (graded for difficulty with a series of green dots, one being the easiest etc.) in each of the four different tunings.
Covered in this Article:
Caquinho Portuguese Tuning – CGADTwo main forms of the caquinho are popular in Portugal, originating in different regions of the country. There’s the Lisbon (or Lisboa – leezsh-boa) from the capital, and the Minho (meen-yo) from the Minho Province in the north of the country.
Where the Portuguese instruments differ from their Brazilian cousins is mainly in the smaller size (like a soprano uke) and a fingerboard terminating at the twelfth fret.
Some models he a standard slotted headstock like a classical guitar, whereas others feature the instantly recognisable Preston cylindrical or watch-key tuners on a fan-shaped headstock.
This style of tuner is also used on the Portuguese guitar (or guitarra portugesa). The tuning isn’t totally dissimilar from the Brazilian instrument, but drops the second and fourth strings down a full tone (A instead of B and C instead of D).
Tip: If you’re beginning on your Portuguese caquinho journey, I’d advise you to start off with the standard slotted headstock design if you can, as tuning is a little more straightforward and less fiddly.
On the other hand, if you’re adventurous and rather fancy a conversation starter, the Preston-style tuners are sure to turn heads and raise the odd question or two.
Technique-wise, the Portuguese caquinho is played in a style called rasgado (has-gardo) [in English translated as ‘torn’]. This involves a rolling motion using the thumb and index finger.
Some players use other fingers to achieve the same result, but this is the most common method of strumming.
Portuguese Caquinho Fingerboard Layout
(c) Fret ExpertBelow is a table for Portuguese caquinho tuning to a guitar or piano keyboard:
Portuguese CaquinhoGuitarPiano1st String (D)1st String (E) fretted at the 10th fret2nd D above middle C2nd String (A)1st String (E) fretted at the 5th fret1st A above middle C3rd String (G)1st String (E) fretted at the 3rd fret1st G above middle C4th String (C)2nd String (B) fretted at the 1st fretMiddle CAnd here’s how to use Portuguese caquinho tuning, by tuning a caquinho to itself:
Here’s the Portuguese caquinho staff notation:
Here are a selection of chords for the Portuguese caquinho tuning, graded by difficulty (the more green dots, the harder the chord).
(c) Fret Expert
In Brazil, the caquinho is nearly always tuned to an open G major chord (DGBD), with the exception of some players who find DGBE better for playing solos. DGBE is also standard tuning for the baritone ukulele, albeit an octe lower.
A smaller version of the Brazilian caquinho also exists and is generally referred to as a Caco (c-acko).
Both instruments are used extensively in Brazilian samba and choro music. Samba music can be traced back to West Africa via the sle trade, taking in the complex polyrhythms originating in areas of the Congo. 
In modern times, the samba has branched off into other similar forms, including the bossa nova, which encompasses elements of jazz, popularised by composers such as Carlos Antonio ‘Tom’ Jobim, the writer of such standards as The Girl From Ipanema , One Note Samba and Desafinado.
The other popular form of music associated with the Brazilian caquinho, choro (shorro), typically features uptempo rhythms set against a cheerful melodic structure, relying heily on improvisation.
The original form of choro was generally limited to a guitar, caquinho and flute, but gradually, over time, other instruments were introduced including the mandolin, trumpet, trombone, saxophone and clarinet.
These were supplemented by percussion including a relative of the tambourine called the pandeiro (pan-dare-ro). Within this context, the caquinho is used both as a melodic instrument as well as providing a chordal accompaniment.
Brazilian Caquinho Fingerboard Layout
Below is a table to show how you can achieve Brazilian caquinho tuning using a guitar or piano keyboard:
Brazilian CaquinhoGuitarPiano1st String (D)1st String (E) fretted at the 10th fret2nd D above middle C2nd String (B)1st String (E) fretted at the 7th fret1st B above middle C3rd String (G)1st String (E) fretted at the 3rd fret1st G above middle C4th String (D)2nd String (B) fretted at the 3rd fret1st D above Middle C
And here’s how to use Brazilian caquinho tuning, by tuning a caquinho to itself:
Here’s the Brazilian caquinho staff notation:
Here are a selection of chords for the Brazilian caquinho tuning, graded by difficulty (the more green dots, the harder the chord).
Tip: If you want a thorough ‘Chord Bible” for the caquinho in the Brazilian Tuning, then you can find my caquinho chordbook on Amazon here.
(c) Fret Expert
The caquinho is a close cousin of the ukulele, so perhaps unsurprisingly it is sometimes tuned like it’s Hawaiian relative.
This makes transitioning from one instrument to the other a lot less painful than it might otherwise he been.
Two uke tunings are popular in this respect, with GCEA (open C major sixth or C6) covering the standard soprano, concert and tenor ukes and DGBE (open G major sixth or G6) a direct import from baritone uke tuning (albeit an octe higher).
DGBE is also popular with Brazilian caquistas (cver-key-ster) when it comes to soloing, as it slightly extends the range of the instrument by a full tone.
Caquinho Ukulele Tuning Fingerboard Layout
Below is a table to show how you can achieve Ukulele caquinho tuning using a guitar or piano keyboard:
Ukulele CaquinhoGuitarPiano1st String (A)1st String (E) fretted at the 5th fret1st A above middle C2nd String (E)1st open string (E)1st E above middle C3rd String (C)2nd String (B) fretted at the 1st fretMiddle C4th String (G)3rd open string (G)1st G below Middle C
And here’s caquinho ukulele tuning by tuning the caquinho to itself:
Here is the caquinho ukulele tuning staff notation:
Here is a selection of chords for the Ukulele caquinho tuning, graded by difficulty (the more green dots, the harder the chord).
(c) Fret Expert
Because of the similarity in both size and scale length, a natural consequence was always going to be the adoption of GDAE (tuned to an A7sus4 chord) or mandolin tuning.
This is commonly done by musicians wanting to he the best of both worlds; the unmistakable ringing tone of the unison-strung mandolin and the high pitched chimes of the caquinho.
This makes a lot of sense, especially for mandolin players who want to transition from one instrument to the other.
Caquinho Mandolin Tuning Fingerboard Layout
Here’s a table showing Caquinho mandolin tuning using a guitar or piano keyboard:
Mandolin CaquinhoGuitarPiano1st String (E)1st String (E) fretted at the 12th fret2nd E above middle C2nd String (A)1st string (E) fretted at the 5th fret1st A above middle C3rd String (D)2nd String (B) fretted at the 3rd fret1st D above middle C4th String (G)3rd open string (G)1st G below Middle C
Here’s Caquinho mandolin tuning when tuning a caquinho to itself:
And here’s Caquinho mandolin tuning staff notation.
Here are a selection of chords for the Mandolin caquinho tuning, graded by difficulty (the more green dots, the harder the chord).
(c) Fret Expert
Physically, the caquinho and the ukulele are around the same size, with both featuring a four string configuration.
While the uke features nylon or composite strings, the caquinho is always strung with steel strings. This produces its unique timbre, which is slightly more akin to a 4-string mandolin than a ukulele.
Ukuleles are more often than not tuned using re-entrant tuning, whereas the caquinho tends to be tuned in a more standardized low to high configuration.
Re-entrant means the strings don’t run in a strict low to high sequence. The lowest note on the ukulele can be found on the third string, rather than the fourth – that gives the uke its unique ‘my dog has fleas’ tuning.
Whichever tuning you decide to settle upon might well depend on whether you’re coming to the caquinho as a brand new instrument or as a supplement to an existing instrument that you’re more familiar with.
Ukulele players might understandably be reluctant to learn a different tuning and a whole new set of chords, deciding to take the line of least resisitance and stick with GCEA or DGBE, which are both fourths tunings, like the guitar.
Mandolin players may well follow suit and find that the familiar GDAE produces a sufficiently different sound to the mandolin without the hassle of again learning a totally different set of chords.
Arguably whichever tuning you decide upon, it’s still going to sound much more like a caquinho than a ukulele or a mandolin.
If you value tradition over convenience, then, by all means, opt for one of the top two tunings (depending upon which model you own). CGAD and DGBD are likely to be used by most caquistas (cva-key-ster) playing traditional music.
Similar Instruments to the Traditional CaquinhoCape Verde CaquinhoA Brazilian import from the 1930s. The Cape Verdean instrument retains most of the physical features and tuning of its Brazilian cousin, but within a setting of more localised musical styles including morna, mazurka and coladeira.
Cape Verde (off the coast of North West Africa) is set within the Macaronesia Ecoregion encompassing the Canary Islands, Azores, Madeira and Sage Isles. Tuning DGBD.
Pronunciation: Cape Ver-dee
Machete or Braguinha
Another small 4-stringed instrument from the Madeira island grouping near to the Portuguese coast. The tuning doesn’t follow the standard Portuguese CGAD configuration, but adheres to its Brazilian relative using DGBD (G major) instead.
It tends to be played using an adapted rasgado technique utilizing all the fingers, minus the thumb.
Pronunciation: Mash-etti / Brag-gheen-ya
Rajão
Another Madeiran folk instrument, but featuring an additional fifth string. The rajão, like the others in this grouping uses steel strings and like the ukulele, features re-entrant tuning, with the third (lowest sounding string) or middle string tuned to a middle C.
The tuning is DGCEA, much akin to the ukulele, but with an additional fifth D string. There’s also a six string version with an extra A in the high end (DGCEAA). It’s also been called the taro-patch fiddle.
Pronunciation: hazsh-ow
Venezuelan Cuatro or Cuatro Venezolano
The 4-stringed cuatro, not to be confused with the Puerto Rican cuatro (a totally different type of instrument), is more akin to the ukulele than the caquinho.
It’s about the size of a baritone uke and like its close cousin, uses nylon or composite strings. Unusually, the tuning doesn’t conform to the baritone’s DGBE, but instead utilizes the original soprano tuning of ADF#B (before GCEA became standardized within the ukulele community).
Pronunciation: Kwatro (with a rolled ‘r’)
Ukulele
Undoubtedly the most well-known member of this family group, the Hawaiian uke’s design can be traced back to its close relative the machete, which was brought to the Hawaiian Islands (formerly known as the Sandwich Islands) in the 19th century.
Ukuleles are so popular now, that I’ve written several separate articles about them on this site.