Rajao

Rajão aka Guitarrico, Guitarro, Tiple de Menorca
If the Braguinha is the "mother" of the Ukulele then this is the "father". The Rajão is the Iberian instrument that gave the Ukulele its reentrant g~C~E~A tuning, (the extra sting on the Rajão is tuned d, giving d~g~C~E~A). As with all of these sorts of chordophone there are a number of different names depending on where the instrument is from, (and possibly small differences in the build?) Rajão certainly the Maderian name, probably the general Portuguese name, but I have seen something very similar in Spain referred to as the Guitarrico, the Guitarro and even the Tiple de Menorca.

The instrument itself, in addition to having the extra string, is bigger than a standard Soprano Ukulele, (its about the size of a Tenor Ukulele). It can also have different string configurations with the most common being all of the courses doubled, or just the top A doubled, (giving 6 strings so a more symmetrical headstock and often being mistaken for some kind of small Guitar). The strings were originally gut, (of course now nylon or one of its alternatives), not steel and there are many tuning variations going for not reentrant to open chords but I won't list them here, the d~g~C~E~A is the main one and if a Ukulele player wanted to have a go with one this would be the easiest to try.

Not only is the Rajão one of the forebears of the Ukulele but Manuel Nunes, Augusto Dias and Jose do Espirito Santo, (the three original "inventors" or if you stick with the familial metaphor "midwives" of the Ukulele), also made them on Hawaii along with their Ukuleles, with a number of their examples still existing, and quite a few modern Ukulele Luthiers have had a go too.



Timple (de Canaries)
This is a similar looking 5 coursed instrument originating in the Canary Islands and often seen around Europe these days, (probably more so than the Rajão), thanks to the thriving tourist industry. Historically it is smaller than the Rajão, more Concert or even Soprano size and usually bowl backed.

Traditionally they were gut, (now nylon), strung and not reentrant. The original tuning was G~C~E~A~D, (so ending up with a low G and the D string the other side of the fret board), These days it is increasingly copying the Ukulele tuning, even going to the extent of losing the 5th string, (but still calling itself a Timple).

Whilst, like Hawaii with Ukuleles, there is a lot of "tourist tat" made and sold, there have been and still are, some very good Timples made.