Modern tres lessons, songs and resources for guitar players and curious musicians.
I fell in love with this small instrument after years of playing guitar. Now I want to help you discover it too.
★ Guitar players · Curious musicians · Cuban roots ★
A small instrument. A big sound. A new way to play.
The tres is a Cuban instrument with three courses of doubled strings — six strings total, tuned in E–B–G. It is small and easy to travel with, but it does not sound small.
It has a bright, rhythmic, projecting voice that cuts through a band and immediately gives music a different character. It comes from Cuban son, but the same strings that play a son montuno can carry a pop hook, a reggae skank, or a funk riff.
Don't have a tres yet? Start with the instrument you already have. This free guide shows you how to convert an acoustic guitar into a tres-style setup — so you can begin exploring the sound today.
Step-by-step: which strings to buy, how to restring, and how to tune. From a regular acoustic guitar to a working tres in under 10 minutes.
The standard E – B – G tres tuning explained with diagrams. How to tune the doubled courses so each pair rings clean and in unison (or in octaves on the G).
Am, Dm, and E7 — three shapes that are instantly playable on your converted instrument. The same shapes show up in a Cuban son, a pop ballad, or a reggae verse.
A simple, repeating pattern you can apply to almost any song you already play — pop, reggae, funk, or a Cuban montuno. One riff, many genres, one fun afternoon.
Marcos is a professional guitarist and touring musician with years of experience on stage, in studios, and on the road — from Europe to the Americas, from intimate club gigs to international residencies in places like Mexico, France, the Seychelles, and beyond.
After a long life with the guitar, he wanted to feel curious again. To discover an instrument that felt familiar, but opened a new door. That is how he found the tres.
Small enough to travel with. Loud enough to fill a room. Different enough to change the way a guitarist thinks about rhythm, chords and groove. He fell in love with it — and Marcos Tres Guitar was born from that discovery.
Two practical resources to get you started. Download both, then decide your next step.
Your first step — no tres required.
Reference guide for all 12 keys.
The first structured course inside Marcos Tres Guitar — a clear first path into the instrument.
A beginner-friendly course that teaches you the foundations — how to tune and hold the instrument, build your first groove, understand the montuno, and play three classic songs from beginning to end.
The course starts with Cuban roots, then opens the door to using the tres in your own music.
Tres Guitar Academy is the learning area inside Marcos Tres Guitar — courses, lessons, chord resources, song studies, and practical material to help you grow step by step.
No guitar? No theory? No problem.
★ Start at page one. ★
Six-string chops? Convert, don't buy.
★ Convert tonight. Play tonight. ★
"I came from rock guitar — now I'm tracking tres on my own pop demos. The lessons skip the jargon and just show you how to play. Worth every star."
"Never played a string instrument in my life. The free guide got me playing a real riff in a weekend. The teaching style is patient and unbelievably clear."
"Finally, a tres channel that treats it like a real instrument, not a museum piece. I'm using it in my reggae project now. My band-mates keep subscribing."
Not at all. The Cuban repertoire is the strongest foundation for understanding the tres — that's why we teach it. But the method is built around transferable skills: rhythm, riffs, chord shapes, phrasing. Once you have them, you can take the tres into pop, reggae, funk, or any style you love.
No. The free guide shows you how to convert any acoustic guitar into a working tres in minutes — just by changing the strings and the tuning. Most students start playing on a converted guitar before they ever buy a dedicated tres.
Dedicated tres guitars are mostly built in Cuba and a handful of luthiers in Miami, so they can be hard to track down internationally. Start with the free conversion guide — most students play on a converted guitar for months before they shop for a dedicated instrument. As Marcos Tres Guitar grows, we plan to help students understand what to look for and where to find a reliable tres.
It's truly free. The only thing you'll receive in return is the occasional email from Marcos — new lessons, song breakdowns, and resources. Unsubscribe any time — no hard feelings.
Yes. The guide is built on chord diagrams, photos, and a little rhythm notation — no standard staff reading required. We avoid heavy theory jargon and focus on what your hands actually need to do.
The Modern Tres Method is the first structured course inside Marcos Tres Guitar. It covers the foundations — tuning, posture, right-hand technique, the montuno, and three classic songs: Guantanamera, Chan Chan, and Dos Gardenias. It is designed for beginners and for guitarists making the move to tres.
Most beginners get a one-chord riff going in their first week, and a full Am–Dm–E7 song loop within two or three weeks of regular practice. Twenty minutes a day beats a four-hour weekend cram every time.
Finding a good tres can be difficult, especially outside Cuba or Miami. As the project grows, Marcos Tres Guitar will help students understand what to look for, which instruments to avoid, and where to find a reliable tres.
For now, the best place to start is the free conversion guide — turn an acoustic guitar you already own into a working tres today.
Start with the Free Conversion GuideGrab the free conversion guide. Restring the guitar you already own, retune to E-B-G, and play your first riff — tonight.
★ Cuban roots · Modern voice · Played wherever you are ★
