The charango is a South American folk instrument, technically a small lute and guitarlike in appearance. Stringed instruments were unknown to the Inca before the arrival of the Spanish in the 1600s, bringing lutes, mandolins and the ancestors of the guitar; Charango is both the generic name for the instruments that descended from this contact and the specific name for one of the most common and distinctive types.

Charangos in the more general sense may have 4, 8, 10, 12 or 14 strings, of steel or gut (or nowadays nylon of course). Traditionally the body was made from a steamed armadillo shell, but the preferred species is endangered and wooden bodies are now normal.

Charango

Ten strings in five courses, the first two and last two courses tuned in unison and the middle course in octaves.

• g g - c' c' - e e' - a' a' - e' e' (standard tuning according to Wikipedia)

String gauges:

La Bella Charango C80 (plain nylon): E .019 .019, A .028 .028, E .033 .020, C .024 .024, G .030 .030

Charango De Caja

Twelve strings in six courses, and a flat rather than bowed back.

• E-A-D-G-B-E (standard, three octaves above the guitar)
• E-B-G-D-B-G (Comuncha)
• E-C-G-D-Bb-G (Diablo)
• E-B-F#-D-A-F# (Arpa0

External links

http://www.museumofworldmusic.com/char.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charango

http://www.naradasuoni.com/it/articoli/charango.html

http://www.ancient-future.com/guitar/charango.html

http://www.guitarseminars.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/000349.html