charangos

The charango is a small, lute-like string instrument from the Andean highlands of South America. It is strongly associated with Bolivia, Peru, northern Chile, and northwest Argentina, where it plays a central role in traditional folk music and in contemporary Andean and world-music styles. Its bright, percussive timbre makes it well suited to fast rhythms and melodic lines.

Construction: The typical charango has a rounded back and a short neck, with a soundboard top of wood (often spruce or cedar) and sides and back made from wood; historically the back was sometimes made from the shell of an armadillo, a practice that gave the instrument its distinctive light resonance. The instrument normally carries ten strings arranged in five double courses; the strings are usually metal-wound or nylon. It is commonly played with the fingers, though many players use a plectrum for rhythm parts, and rasgueado techniques are common in folk playing.

Tuning and use: There is no universal standard tuning; five paired strings may be tuned in unison or in octaves, with several regional and individual tunings centered around major scales. The charango is versatile, used for rhythmic strumming, arpeggios, and single-note melodies; it often plays along with quena (flute) and panpipes in ensembles, as well as in solo performances.

Variants and related instruments: The ronroco is a larger relative pitched lower, essentially a baritone charango. Charangos have a long-standing place in Andean folklore and modern fusion genres, and contemporary makers produce instruments in a range of sizes and materials.