Description:
The octavina a plucked lute and a member of the chordophone family, and
it has has 14 strings and 19 frets. It is played with a plectrum. The
appearance of the octavina is quite similar to the guitar in its
construction although much smaller in size. This instrument is directly
influenced from the laud and bandurria sharing the same tuning. The
instruments tuning was influenced from the bandurria and laud who were
introduced to the Philippines since the Spanish occupation. The origins
of the name octavina remain unclear, it is suggested that the name
octavina originates from a bandurria like instrument having up to 6
courses of strings. The name octavina applies to several different
instruments including a keyboarded instrument from the 17th century
called a spinet. The octavina is played in accompaniment with the laud
and bandurria in rondalla music. The tuning is the same as the laud or
bandurria although the pitches of the strings are one octave lower then
the bandurria.
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