Museumofworldmusic.com

Instruments

Peru

Name: Charango

Type: Plucked Lute > Chordophones.

Region: Bolivia > Peru > Ecuador > South America.

Dimensions: Length

Specimens: The charango you see in the photo is probably a "Garcia" charango a well known brand in Bolivia.

Acquisition Date: Acquired my Garcia charango on Monday 28, 2008

Acquisition Sources: My first charango was acquired from Rufus Guitars (Vancouver, B.C. Canada). 

CharangoDescription: The charango is a small short necked lute and it is a member of the chordophone family of musical instruments. In the andean regions of Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador the charango is amongst the Inca, Aymara, Mestizo peoples. Since the introduction of the charango to South America during the 1600's to 1770's. The charango spread through out the Andean regions from Bolivia, Peru to Ecuador and in Northern Chile and North Western Argentina. Currently the charango has 10 strings, where as some charangos have up to 12-strings. In Northern Chile one will find a board-zither with the same name. Although it is an unrelated musical instrument. In North Western Argentina; there exists a charango who has only 5 frets. This type of  charango is quite rare. The precise origins of the charango are disputed. It is agreed upon it may have originated from the vehuela de mano that was introduced by the Spanish. The Indigenous peoples at the time did not possess the technology to create the staved back, they did have access to the 9 banded armadillo. These type of charangos are constructed using a wooden mould where the armadillo shell is moulded into the correct profile. The body of the armadillo would have much of the hair still intact although most of it was removed. Some of the armadillo charangos also called qirikinchu have the face of the armadillo intact with the body. Due to the demands from professional musicians, charangos have the full range of intonation from fret to fret. Professional quality charangos have up to 19 frets, 10 nylon strings and machine tuning gears. Originally charangos had up to 5 frets, the intonation the fingerboard was uneven at best. In rural areas it is still quite common to find charangos with hand carved wooden tuning pegs. Some professional models of charangos do have wooden tuning pegs this usually depends on the maker. The charango is a very melodic and rhythmical instrument. The Inca have a saying "the charango is to scream like a cat", in rural areas charango is strung with metal strings. 

 

Charango Tunings
Name
Key
Tuning
Standard
A min7
G-C-E-A-E
Temple En Fa / Tuning in F  
G-C-F-A-F
Samena Santa / Easter  
F#-B-E-A-E
 
Ab min 7
F#-B-Eb-Ab-Eb
 
E min 7
G-C-B-E-B
Rune  
G-D-E-A-E
Large And Small / Grandes Y Pequeños  
D-G-B-E-B
Medium / Medio  
D-G-D-Bb-D
 
G min 7
E-Bb-D-G-D
    C-E-B-G-D
Jalq'a  
F#-A-C-B-E
Charango De Caja (12-string)
Plain   E-A-D-G-B-E
Comuncha   G-B-D-G-B-E
Diablo   G-Bb-D-G-C-E
Arpa   F#-A-D-F#-B-E

Charango-De-Caja: The charango-de-caja is a type of 12-stringed flat-backed charango which resembles the guitar and is tuned three octaves above the guitar this version of the charango is a direct relative to the chillador. This form of charango is popular in Apurimac, Ayacucho and Puno regions.

A Foot note:
 I should point out some charangos are strung with metal strings as well as with nylon. I have been told that the metal string charangos should be handled carefully during the tuning process. The metal strings are quite delicate when taught and are prone to snapping. The neck may warp in extreme cases. Nowadays many of the major guitar-string manufacturing companies such as, D'dario and other string makers also produce string-sets for charango to other ethnic-lutes.

Citations: John Brenton, > Guitar Seminars Forum > @ For my write up on the charanjo de-caja was researched from the Garland Encyclopedia of Worldmusic, book; South America, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean, chapter, Peru, page 475 ISBN# 0-8240-4947-0. The New Grove Dictionary of Music page 340 Peru, Charango. Article by Thomas Turino. Charango.org > Asza.com / Charango and also pacoweb.net (translated through google translate from Spanish to English) > filmography / El Charango by Andrew Wreissinger @ Andrewwreissenger.com