Guitarra morisca

Guitarra latina (left) and guitarra morisca

The guitarra morisca or mandora medieval is a plucked string instrument. It is a lute that has a bulging belly and a headstock as sickle.

Appeared in the early 9th century, it is an instrument mentioned in the Cantigas de Santa Maria, and by Johannes de Grocheio (towards 1300) who called it quitarra sarracénica. In the 14th century it is known by the term guitarra morisca, coined by Arcipreste de Hita in Libro de buen amor. It is a hybrid instrument between the guitarra latina and medieval lute, usually played by fingers or plectrum.

External Links

• Page in Spanish about the Mandora or Moorish Guitar
• Page in Spanish cataloging instruments including Guitarra Morisca.
• Book, The British Museum Citole: New Perspectives has useful info about this instrument pages 93-103

Medieval music
Movements and schools	Ars antiqua Ars nova Ars subtilior Burgundian School Contenance angloise Notre Dame school Saint Martial school
Musical instruments	Wind Bagpipes Bladder pipe Bombard Crumhorn Flute Gemshorn Jew's harp Organ Recorder Sackbut Shawm String Citole Gittern Guitarra latina Guitarra morisca Dulcimer Harp Hurdy-gurdy Lute Cretan lyra Lyre Psaltery Rebec Tromba marina Vielle Viol Zampogna Zither Percussion Carillon Crotales Nakers Tabor Tambourine Triangle
Musical forms	Antiphon Canso Carol Chanson Chant Conductus Geisslerlied Lai Liturgical drama Madrigal Motet Organum Rondeau Virelai
Composers	François Andrieu Odo of Arezzo Notker Balbulus Hildegard of Bingen Jacopo da Bologna Borlet Antonello da Caserta Philippus de Caserta Donato da Cascia Johannes Ciconia Odo of Cluny Petrus de Cruce John Dunstaple Gherardello da Firenze St. Godric Giovanni da Cascia Lorenzo da Firenze Paolo da Firenze Pope Gregory I Grimace Roy Henry Hucbald Francesco Landini Arnold de Lantins Kir Stefan the Serb Léonin Guillaume de Machaut Lorenzo da Firenze Bartolino da Padova Matteo da Perugia Niccolò da Perugia Pérotin Maestro Piero Leonel Power Jacob Senleches John Koukouzelis Solage Trebor Tuotilo Adam of Saint Victor Philippe de Vitry W. de Wycombe
Traditions	British Isles England Scotland Cyprus France Germany Italy Lithuania Netherlands Portugal Spain
Derivatives and fusions	Medieval folk rock Medieval metal Neo-Medieval music
Related articles	Goliards Monophony Music of the Trecento Neume Polyphony Troubadour