- This article is about an instrument. A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified for the purpose of making Music. A string instrument (or stringed instrument) is a Musical instrument that produces Sound by means of Vibrating strings In the Hornbostel-Sachs A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified for the purpose of making Music. The angélique (French from Italian angelica) is a plucked string instrument of the Lute family of the baroque era The archlute (Italian arciliuto, German Erzlaute, Russian Архилютня) is a European plucked String instrument developed around 1600 The balalaika (балала́йка) (also Balabaika балаба́йка - is a stringed instrument of Russian origin with a characteristic triangular body and The barbat is a Lute of ancient Persian origin History The barbat originated in Persia in ancient times and was refined during the The bağlama is a stringed Musical instrument shared by various Cultures in the Eastern Mediterranean, Near East, and Central The biwa ( 琵琶) is a Japanese short-necked fretted Lute, and a close variant of the Chinese Pipa. The bouzouki ( gr το μπουζούκι pl. τα μπουζούκια (plural sometimes transliterated as bouzoukia) is the mainstay of modern Chitarra Italiana is a Lute -shaped plucked instrument with 4 or 5 single (sometimes double strings in a tuning similar to that of guitar The daguangxian ( literally "large wide string " is a Chinese bowed string instrument in the Huqin family of instruments The đàn tỳ bà is a Vietnamese traditional plucked String instrument. The dombra is a long-necked Stringed instrument possessing a wooden resonating chamber somewhat similar to a Banjo Not to be confused with Dombra The domra (Russian language домра is a long-necked Russian String instrument The dutar ( Persian: دو تار, Uzbek: dutor (also dotar or doutar) is a traditional long-necked two-stringed Lute The erhu ( also called nanhu ( 南[[wikt 胡|胡]] "southern fiddle" and sometimes known in the West as the "Chinese The Irish bouzouki (colloquially the "zouk" is a derivative of the Greek Bouzouki. The liuqin ( 柳琴; Pinyin: liǔqín) is a four-stringed Chinese Lute with a pear-shaped body Lute can refer generally to any plucked string instrument with a neck (either Fretted or unfretted and a deep round back or more specifically to an instrument from The mandocello (mandoloncello, liuto cantabile or liuto moderno is a Plucked string instrument of the Mandolin family The mandola (US and Canada or tenor mandola (Europe Ireland and UK is a fretted stringed Musical instrument. A mandolin is a musical instrument in the Lute family (plucked or strummed The oud ( عود ʿūd, plural أعواد, a‘wād; kaban; Persian: بربط barbat; ud The pandura is an ancient String instrument from the Mediterranian basin The pipa ( is a plucked Chinese String instrument. Sometimes called the Chinese Lute, the instrument has a pear-shaped wooden body Rubab or Robab ( Rūbāb, Hindi: रुबाब is a Lute -like musical instrument from Afghanistan. The saz (from Persian:) is a family of Plucked string instruments popular in Iran, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Armenia and the Setar ( Persian: سه تار, from seh, meaning "three" and tār, meaning "string" is a Persian musical instrument The sitar ( Hindi: सितार Urdu: ستار Persian: سی تار) is a Plucked stringed instrument. The Surbahar ( Hindi: सुर बहार also known as bass sitar) is a Plucked string instrument used in the Hindustani classical music The tambura ( Hindi: तानपूरा is a type of Stringed instrument found in different versions in different places around the world most are plucked The term tanbūr ( Persian: تنبور) can refer to various long-necked Fretted Lutes originating in the Middle East Tanbur (spelled Tambur in keeping with TDK conventions is a fretted string instrument of Turkey and the former lands of the Ottoman Empire The tembûr, a Fretted String instrument, is a form of tanbūr. A theorbo (tiorba also tuorbe; tiorba Theorbe is a plucked string instrument A tiorbino, a little Theorbo ( tiorbo in Italian is a rare stringed instrument a type of long-necked Lute resembling a Theorbo but significantly The tiqin ( is a name applied to several two-stringed Chinese bowed string instruments in the Huqin family of instruments Topshur (Топшур in the Cyrillic alphabet of the Altayans) is a two-stringed plucked or strummed lute played by the Altayans. The ukulele (ˌjʉːkəˈlɛɪli from ʻukulele /ˌʔukuˈlele/ variantly spelled ukelele (particularly in the UK) or alternatively abbreviated uke Veena (also spelled 'vina' Kannada: ವೀಣ Malayalam: വീണ Tamil: வீணா Telugu: వీణ is a Plucked stringed The zhonghu (中胡 Pinyin: zhōnghú) is a low-pitched Chinese bowed String instrument. For the album by British Trip-Hop band Morcheeba, see Charango. Trip hop is a music Genre also known as the Bristol sound or Bristol acid rap. Morcheeba ("Mor" meaning "middle of the road" and "cheeba" taken from the slang term for marijuana are a British band that mixes influences from Charango is a 2002 album by the British group Morcheeba. Singles released include "Otherwise" "Way Beyond" and "Undress For the Cuban style of music, see "charanga". This article is about the Cuban musical style not to be confused with the musical instrument " Charango ".
The charango is a small South American stringed instrument of the lute family, about 66 cm long, traditionally made with the shell of the back of an armadillo. South America is a Continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a A string instrument (or stringed instrument) is a Musical instrument that produces Sound by means of Vibrating strings In the Hornbostel-Sachs Lute can refer generally to any plucked string instrument with a neck (either Fretted or unfretted and a deep round back or more specifically to an instrument from The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International Armadillos are small Placental Mammals known for having a leathery armor shell It typically has 10 strings in five courses of 2 strings each, although other variations exist. A course is a pair or more of adjacent strings tuned to unison or an octave and usually played together as if a single string
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History
When the Spanish conquistadores came to Bolivia, they brought the vihuela (an ancestor of the classical guitar) with them. Vihuela is a name given to two different Guitar -like String instruments one from 15th and 16th century Spain, usually with 12 paired strings and the It is not clear from which Spanish stringed instrument the charango is a direct descendant. It may have evolved from the vihuela, bandurria (mandolin), or the lute. There are many stories of how the charango came to be made with its distinctive diminutive soundbox of armadillo. One story says that the native musicians liked the sound the vihuela made, but lacked the technology to shape the wood in that manner. Another story says that the Spaniards prohibited natives from practicing their ancestral music, and that the charango was a (successful) attempt to make a lute that could be easily hidden under a garment such as a poncho. A poncho is a simple garment designed to keep the body warm or if made from a watertight material to keep dry during Rain.
The first historic information on the charango was gathered by Vega going back to 1814, when a cleric from Tupiza documented that "the Indians used with much enthusiasm the guitarrillos mui fuis. Vega (α Lyr / α Lyrae / Alpha Lyrae ( or) is the brightest Star in the Constellation Lyra, the fifth brightest star in the night . . around here in the Andes of Bolivia they called them Charangos". Turino mentions that he found carved sirens representing playing charangos in some Colonial churches in the highlands of the Altiplano Boliviano.
File #857 of The New Chronicle of Guaman Poma eloquently expresses under the suggestive title "Indian Criollos" a drawing and text representing the Indigenes of Bolivia playing a similar instrument. Assuming the chroniclist is not representing the actual "charango" it is very important to notice that the image he presented is dated in the early 17th century, registering the musical mestizaje of the chord instruments in Bolivia.
It is believed the charango came to be what it is today in the early part of the 18th century in the Andes somewhere in modern-day Bolivia probably from Amerindian contact with Spanish settlers. For indigenous peoples in the United States other than Hawaii and Alaska see also Native Americans in the United States. The Spanish colonization of the Americas was Spain 's conquest settlement and rule over much of the Western hemisphere.
The 2005 documentary film "El Charango" (director, Jim Virga; editor, Tula Goenka; assoc producer and sound, Andrew Reissiger) sheds light on the relationship between the charango and Cerro Rico, site of the world's largest silver deposit and therefore the most likely location of the charango's birthplace. El Charango the film
Construction
Traditionally made with a dried armadillo shell for the back and wood for the soundbox top, neck etc, today charangos are commonly made of wood, with a bowled back imitating the shape of the armadillo shell. Armadillos are small Placental Mammals known for having a leathery armor shell Wood is hard fibrous lignified structural tissue produced as secondary Xylem in the stems of Woody plants notably trees but also shrubs Unlike most wooden lutes, the body and neck are typically made of a single block of wood, carved into shape. The charango's ten strings require quite a large headstock, often approaching or even exceeding the size of its diminutive sound box. Aside from these visual distinctions, it resembles a small ukulele. The ukulele (ˌjʉːkəˈlɛɪli from ʻukulele /ˌʔukuˈlele/ variantly spelled ukelele (particularly in the UK) or alternatively abbreviated uke
The overall length of a typical charango is about 66 cm, with a string scale length of about 37 cm. However, the number of frets ranges from five to eighteen.
There are many variations in the shape of the top in "plan view" and species of wood, though cedar or spruce family woods are preferred for the soundboard (top), and there is generally a narrowed "waist" somewhat reminiscent of the guitar-family--not the pear-shape of the lute.
The typical construction is a one-piece body and neck, classical guitar style peghead and machine tuners, spruce top, and some degree of ornamentation. Variations include a separate glued-on neck, palisander or ebony vertical tuning pegs, guitar-style box construction, or even a hollowed-out neck. The size and shape of the soundholes is highly variable and may be dual crescents, round hole, oval hole, or even multiple holes of varying arrangement.
More recently solidbody electric and hollowbody acoustic-electric charangos are coming on the scene. The solidbodies are built very much as miniature electric guitars, whereas the acoustic-electrics are usually more like a standard acoustic charango.
The instrument has four to fifteen metal, gut, or nylon strings.
Tuning
The charango has five pairs (or courses) of strings, typically tuned GCEAE. This tuning, disregarding octaves, is similar to the typical C-tuning of the 'ukulele or the Venezuelan cuatro, with the addition of a second E-course. The ukulele (ˌjʉːkəˈlɛɪli from ʻukulele /ˌʔukuˈlele/ variantly spelled ukelele (particularly in the UK) or alternatively abbreviated uke Unlike most other stringed instruments, all ten strings are tuned inside one octave. The five courses are pitched as follows (from 5th to 1st course): gg cc eE (because the thicker one is tuned an octave lower) aa ee. Some charanguistas use "octave" strings on other pairs in addition to the middle course. Note that the lowest pitch is the 1st "E" string in the middle course, followed by the "g" course, then the "a" course, then the "c" and finally the "e" strings. This tuning pattern is known as a re-entrant pattern because the pitches of the strings do not rise steadily from one string or course to the next.
The ramifications of the charango tuning is that there is a very narrow tonal range in most chords, and so there is a tremendous wall of sound. Seventh and ninth chords shimmer more than on a guitar due to the close harmonies. More importantly though, in terms of melody playing, the instrumentalist can create a harp-like sound with close intervals ringing out (i. e. , like a piano with the sustain pedal engaged). With intervals like minor 2nds and major 2nds fingered on different strings, the charango player can play sustained melodies at rapid speed with an alternating thumb/finger pattern.
Tunings for the charango vary, but the "standardized" ones most commonly used (for the five-stringed version) are:
| Course | Am7 tuning | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | GG (392 Hz, above middle C) | Lowest tone, highest position |
| 4 | cc (523. 25 Hz) | |
| 3 | Ee (329. 63 Hz, 659. 26 Hz) | Strings are tuned an octave apart |
| 2 | AA (440 Hz) | |
| 1 | ee (659. 26 Hz) | Highest tone, lowest position |
Abm7 and Gm7 are achieved by tuning a step or two down, respectively. Em7 is achieved by stepping the appropriate amount down.
Variants
- The walaycho (also hualaycho, or maulincho) is a smaller relative, usually tuned a fourth higher (sometimes a fifth higher) than the charango
- The charangón is a larger relative:
- Some are a 4th down, others a 5th, yet others are an octave down
- Bolivia: tuned in between a ronroco and a charango
- Argentina: one octave below the walaycho (maulincho); presumably a fifth down
- The ronroco is a larger relative of the charango
- Usually tuned one octave lower. The walaycho, or hualaycho, is a small Lute -like fretted stringed instrument the smallest member of the Charango family The Charangón is a small Lute -like Fretted Stringed instrument, of the Charango family The walaycho, or hualaycho, is a small Lute -like fretted stringed instrument the smallest member of the Charango family
- Bolivia: tuned one octave lower than the charango
- Argentina: tuned a fourth lower than the charango
- The chillador: tuned the same, but with a flat back; usually steel-strung
The number of strings may vary, and includes:
- 4-string
- 5 courses of 3 strings
There are both steel string and nylon string charangos. A chillador is a very small guitar-shaped fretted stringed instrument usually with 10 12 or 14 metal strings in paired or tripled courses Some steel-stringed versions have all ten strings at the same gauge. There are also solid-body electric charangos.
Names
The charango is known through different names in the Andes. The Andes form the world's longest exposed Mountain range. They lie as a continuous chain of highland along the western coast of South America. A few include:
- Mulita and Tatu (in Argentina) and
- Kirkinchu (sometimes "Quirquinchu") and Kirki (in Bolivia and Peru)
There are, of course, various dialects to this slang. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Argentina topics. The Republic of Bolivia (República de Bolivia) named after Simón Bolívar, is a Landlocked country in central South America. Peru (Perú Piruw Piruw officially the Republic of Peru ( reˈpuβlika del peˈɾu is a country in western South America.
Charango in pop culture
The Gipsy Kings's CD Pasajero (2006) features a Peruvian Charango in a few songs -- most notably Café. Gipsy Kings are a music group from Arles and Montpellier, France.
Andrew Reissiger of the world music group Dromedary features the charango on many songs. Dromedary, also known as the Dromedary Quartet, is an American World music band originally based out of Athens Georgia but now with members Reissiger has introduced the instrument to both the Americana/Folk tradition via Jonathan Byrd's The Sea and The Sky and recently on a Puerto Rican CD with Roy Brown, Tito Auger, and Tao Rodriguez-Seeger called "Que Vaya Bien. Americana refers to artifacts of the Culture of the United States, the history and folklore resultant from its Westward expansion. Jonathan Byrd (born 1970 Fayetteville North Carolina) is an American Singer-songwriter based in Carrboro, North Carolina. The Sea and the Sky is a 2004 collaborative album by North Carolina -based Singer-songwriter Jonathan Byrd and Georgia Roy Brown Ramírez (born July 18 1945 is a Composer, Singer and a fervent believer in the cause for the independence of Puerto Rico. Alfonso "Tito" Auger Vega (born March 3, 1968 in Vega Alta, Puerto Rico) is a Puerto Rican musician most known for Tao Rodríguez-Seeger (b New York 1972) is an American contemporary Folk musician. "
The Jewish Latin musician Yehuda Glantz frequently performs with a charango. He informs his audience on the live album "Granite" that he plays a charango from his native Argentina.
Further reading
- Richards, Tobe A. (2006). The Charango Chord Bible: GCEAE Standard Tuning 1,728 Chords. United Kingdom: Cabot Books. ISBN 0-9553944-1-4. — A comprehensive chord dictionary instructional guide.
External links
- Asociación Internacional del Charango AIC (spanish)
- Charango para Todos, el portal de Héctor Soto (spanish)
- Dromedary - American World Music group that features the charango
- Charango Libre (spanish)
- comunidad.ciudad.com.ar (spanish)
- ancient-future.com/guitar/charango
- Familia de los charangos (spanish)
- Charango Bolivia (spanish)
- Musician website of the duo piarango
- charango.org
- Streaming audio of independent charango music by various artists.
Dictionary
charango
-noun
- (music) A South American stringed instrument, rather like a small guitar, traditionally made from the shell of an armadillo
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