Carlos Paredes
Carlos Paredes was a virtuoso Coimbra style of the Portuguese guitar player and composer. Known as the ‘Man of Thousand Fingers’ he is regarded as one of the greatest players of Portuguese guitar of all-time.
“There are two distinct Portuguese guitar models: the Lisboa and the Coimbra. The differences between the two models are the scale length (445 mm of free string length in Lisboa guitars and 470 mm in Coimbra guitars), body measurements, and other finer construction details. Overall, the Coimbra model is of simpler construction than the Lisboa model. Visually and most distinctively, the Lisboa model can easily be differentiated from the Coimbra model by its broader soundboard and the scroll ornament (caracol—snail) that usually adorns the tuning machine, in place of Coimbra’s teardrop-shaped (lágrima) motif.
Lisboa guitars usually employ a shorter and narrower neck profile as well. Acoustically, the models both have a very distinct timbre and are tuned a major second apart, the Lisboa model in D, having a brighter and more resonant sound, and the Coimbra model in C with a darker timbre. The choice between the both of them falls upon each player’s preferences.” (Wikipedia, “Portuguese Guitar”, as accessed March 14, 2025)
Alves, José “Carlos Paredes, notas de uma vida” in Público, Feb.16, 2025
Brookes, Cristina da Costa “Celebrating a Timeless Legacy: Portuguese Guitarist Carlos Paredes”, in Portugal News, March 1, 2025
Cabrita, António Augusto “Paredes/Cabrita: a fotografia como inscrição sensível” in Público, Feb.16, 2025
“Carlos Paredes”, in Wikipedia, as accessed March 5, 2025
“Carlos Paredes 100 anos”, Program of commemorations on his 100th birthday
Fonseca, Octávio “Carlos Paredes – A guitarra de um povo”, Tradisom, 2025
Frota, Gonçalo “Nos cem anos de Paredes, a guitarra portuguesa está tanto na música de câmara como no r&b” in Público, Feb. 16, 2025
Frota, Gonçalo “A guitarra portuguesa depois de Carlos Paredes existe, e fez enfim o seu festival”, in Público, March 10, 2025
Leiderfarb, Luciana “Carlos Paredes. A guitarra feita corpo”, in Revista do Expresso, Feb. 14, 2025
Magalhães, Fernando “A única entrevista de Carlos Paredes ao Público: Sentimento Perpétuo” in Público, Feb. 16, 2025
Oliveira, Luís Miguel “Carlos Paredes e o cinema: um choque eléctrico”, in Público, Feb. 16, 2025
Pacheco, Nuno “Carlos Paredes: A guitarra de um povo voltou a tocar” in Público, Feb. 16, 2025
Pacheco, Nuno “Carlos Paredes por Mário Laginha: “As pessoas ouviam-no e aquilo colava-se à pele” in Público, Feb.21, 2025
Pacheco, Nuno “’O Carlos Paredes é o Carlos Paredes, não há outro igual’” in Público, July 31, 2024
Pacheco, Nuno “Carlos Paredes vai dar a volta ao mundo no centenário do seu nascimento” in Público, Jan.20, 2025
“Portuguese guitar”, in Wikipedia, as accessed March 17, 2025
“Três músicos escrevem sobre Carlos Paredes” in Público, Feb. 16, 2025
Performances by Carlos Paredes
“Carlos Paredes. Despertar-Variações”
“Carlos Paredes. Movimento Perpétuo, etc”
