Can you identify the instrument?

June 22, 2015 7:35 AM

What's the instrument that gives this Ry Cooder song its twangy quality?

What's the instrument that gives this song its twangy quality? I recognise it from the famous Buena Vista Social Club album from the 1990s and I'd like to know more about the instrument's origins and the type of music it's commonly used in. Despite the song's rather dark lyrics about racism and social exclusion I can't stop listening to it!

posted by fishingforthewhale to Media & Arts (7 answers total)

Are you talking about the string instrument that plays the main melody on the intro? this wikipedia page says there's a mandolin used on the album (assuming I've got the right album), and it does sound like it could be a mandolin. But I'm not an expert.
posted by bfields at 7:48 AM on June 22, 2015

Seconding that it sounds like a mandolin. Ry Cooder has credits for "guitars", and the dobro has a pretty twangy sound as well.
posted by jquinby at 7:54 AM on June 22, 2015

Resophonic mandolin maybe?
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 7:57 AM on June 22, 2015 [1 favorite]

Another example here, and Cooder specifically on a (non-reso) oval-hole mando, which has a "tubbier," different tone than an f-hole mando.

But yeah, sounds like mandolin to me.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 8:02 AM on June 22, 2015

Actually sounds more like there may be a mando and a tres on this track. It's conceivable that the tres is just credited under "guitars" as it's pretty much a variation.
posted by Knicke at 8:06 AM on June 22, 2015 [1 favorite]

Best answer: What Barbarito Torres played in Buena Vista Social Club, and Ry Cooder played in this track (as listed on the link bfields provided) is a Cuban Laúd.
posted by Promethea at 8:57 AM on June 22, 2015 [5 favorites]

This looks answered.. but mebbe worth mentioning that it's similar to the tres (wiki / youtube), which is maybe more common, if you're looking to hear more of it, or play one.
posted by Jack Karaoke at 4:53 PM on June 22, 2015