Guitar battente

The battente, called "chitarra battente" in Italian, is generally smaller than a classical guitar and usually played with four or five single or double course metal strings of equal gauge. It is traditionally played in Southern Italy in the regions of Calabria, Campania, Basilicata and Puglia to accompany the voice as well as dancing (tarantella, or pizzica). Depending on the region it is from, the battente has either a flat back (fondo piato) or a rounded back (fondo bombato). The term "battente," which means "to beat" in Italian, has do with the style the guitar is generally played in, which is principally as a rhythm instrument. It is very likely that the battente is derived from the baroque guitar, of which is shares many characteristics.