The Caipira viola or Caipira guitar (in Portuguese: Viola caipira), is a Brazilian ten-string guitar with five courses of strings arranged in pairs. It is a variation of the Portuguese viola that developed in the state of São Paulo during the colonial period, serving as a basis for Caipira music, especially for subgenres of Caipira folklore, such as moda de viola, caipira pagode, catira, etc.
A folk instrument is a traditional musical instrument that has remained largely restricted to traditional folk music, and is not usually used in the classical music or other elite and formal musical genres of the culture concerned, though related instruments may be.
It can be made from wood, metal or other material; all the major families of instruments are represented. The instruments can be percussion instruments, or different types of flutes or trumpets, or string instruments that are plucked, hammered or use a form of bow.