Definición
Requintu
También conocido como: high register Asturian gaita · requintu notes · gaita requintu
High register of the Asturian gaita's punteru. Its three highest notes —D, E and F of requintu— are obtained with greater bellows pressure and specific fingering relative to the base register.
The requintu is the high register of the Asturian gaita’s punteru. It comprises the instrument’s three highest notes —D, E and F of requintu—, sitting above the base scale. To reach them the gaitero increases air pressure from the bag and adjusts fingering: the same holes, but with a different finger position and a different breath intensity.
Mastering the requintu is one of the markers of a gaitero’s technical maturity. A clean transition between the base register and the requintu —without the intermediate notes squeaking or going out of tune— demands precise bellows control. The F of requintu is the highest note of the instrument’s natural register; on modern chromatic models, the register can extend further.