Charango

Product Information

The fact is that the resonator of this mini-guitar is made out of the outer skeleton of a small mammal, the armadillo, which is also known as tatú, atatou, quirquincho, querú, cabasu, piche, mulita, toche, mataca… These are names that are sometimes also applied to the instrument. Another way to tune your charango is to use an electronic keyboard or digital piano. The easiest way to do this is to depress the sustain pedal (if you have one) whilst keying the note you’re tuning to. See the table below. Obviously this method relies to a certain extent on having a good enough ear to hear if a note is sharp or flat, but thankfully most of us can distinguish pitch to a reasonably high degree of accuracy. Tuning a Charango to a Guitar Over the centuries, the charango has continued to evolve, adapting to changing cultural contexts and musical styles. Today, it stands as a testament to the enduring creativity and resilience of the Andean people, a vibrant link between their past, present, and future. As we delve further into the charango’s rich history, we will discover how this seemingly simple instrument has played a crucial role in shaping the cultural identity of the Andean region. Anatomy of the Charango What is a charango ? The traditional model is a small, 10-stringed instrument that originated in the Andes, probably in the 17th or 18th centuries, and which is still widely played today. History

Tonally, the ronroco could loosely be referred to as a baritone charango, much akin to the size difference between a soprano ukulele and its baritone sibling. Which Woods Are Charangos and Ronrocos Made Of? One of the most popular Andean musical instruments is a small guitar with five double strings that looks like a Spanish bandurria. If looked at from the front, there is nothing special, but when you turn it around, it is surprising. Its resonator, which is more or less rounded, is not made out of wood. It’s the shell of an animal! The tuning of the charango is done using five pairs (or courses) of strings, normally tuned GCEAE. The strings are made from both metal-wound and nylon (sometimes a combination of nylon and tradition gut strings, Nylgut). There is another theory of the origin of the charango. According to this theory, the charango initially came to Potosi in Bolivia from colonial Peru in a region known as Ayacucho. Several hybrids of charango with other instruments have also been made, for example: charanquena (charango and quena); charansicu (charango and zampoña); and charango charanguita (charango and guitar). [33] Names [ edit ]The charango comes in different sizes, shapes, pitch, type of strings, and tuning. In more recent times, there have been numerous modern adaptions to its construction. Magyar nyelven 2020 végén megjelent „ Charangó mindenkinek" címen charango tankönyv, melyet Hector Soto chilei zenepedagógus és charangista oktatási anyagából állítottak össze a szerző engedélyével. A mű eredeti címe „Charango para todos”, melyet egy weblap anyaga is támogat, valamint ugyanilyen néven egy YouTube csatornára rögzített videóanyaggal segítik a tanulást. Ezen anyagok segítségével egy zenéhez értő és gitár előtanulmányokkal rendelkező érdeklődő is meg tudja tanulni a charango kezelését.

One of the most complete contemporary statements on the origin of the term "charango" appears in the introduction to Duran and Pedrotti's, Charango Method, ostensibly the first complete, bilingual charango method to be published: The second comes in at a whole tone lower (CFADA) or in musical terms, a fifth lower than the charango. This tuning is popular in Chile and as an alternative tuning in Bolivia. Andean music, as we shared in a previous post, is rich in history and emotional expression. Those characteristics are clearly reflected in one of the keystone instruments that characterizes the music of the Andes, the charango. The charango’s cultural significance is as deeply layered as the music it produces. An integral part of Andean culture and traditions, this small instrument plays a large role in the region’s musical tapestry. Beyond its musical contributions, the charango also serves as a potent symbol of identity, resilience, and cultural pride in countries like Bolivia and Peru.Nearly 20 years later in May 2009 I received a message through facebook from “ Los Queltehues” asking if I played guitar and studied music. It turned out to be my old friend Pablo, who was using facebook under his band name. He was now living in his small hometown on Teno (which is in Chile) and had a very successful blues band! This made me laugh as when we played together I would teach him blues riffs and improv, and he would teach me Latin guitar based techniques. It was almost like a butterfly effect that sent us both on slightly different tangents due to the musical influence we had on each other. The sound of the charango is shaped by its construction and tuning. Traditionally made from the shell of an armadillo and now more commonly from wood, the charango’s petite body and ten strings produce a bright, resonant sound that carries a surprising amount of volume for its size. The strings are arranged in pairs, each tuned to the same note, which creates a chorus effect that adds depth and richness to the instrument’s tone. Another useful piece of information to know about music is that every octave has a specific name. These loosely tie in with the ledger lines on a musical stave or staff. Here’s a list of the octaves from a standard 88-note piano ranging from lowest to highest, using the key of C as an example, along with the corresponding ASA and Helmholtz octave designation abbreviations: Moquegua: Charango with 20 strings arranged in five courses of four strings each. Tuning is like the standard charango with the third (central) course using octave doublings. [25] [27]

In the rural areas of Andean Bolivia, the instrument is not only known by the name "charango", but by many others as well, including: mediana, guitarrilla, thalachi, quirqui, p'alta, khonkhota, aiquileno, guitarron, anzaldeno, etc. ..." An Uruguan publication from 1823 uses the term "changango" as a synonym for the Argentine "charango", and claims the same word was used during the eighteenth century to refer to old and poorly constructed guitars: The charango is very versatile allowing it to be used to interpret all genres of music from yaravi (an ancient traditional genre of Andean music normally quite sad) to carnival music as well as “wasichaky,” a traditional roof-raising dance. Moreover, as technology continues to advance, the digital realm represents a vast frontier for the charango. The incorporation of digital signal processing and synthesis could give rise to hybrid acoustic-electric charangos that harness the best of both worlds. Instead of Conclusions: The Charango Family and its Variations

Loading...

After a year of private study with Michael Stimpson (my guitar tutor from WLIHE) I went on to do my degree in music and City University, studying Classical Guitar at the Guildhall.