The charango is a small stringed instrument from the lute family, used by the Quechua and Aymara people in the Altiplano region of South America after the Spanish introduced European stringed instruments during colonization. It is commonly found in the Andean areas of Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, northern Chile, and northwestern Argentina, where it is widely used in traditional music and has many different versions.

The charango is about 66 cm (26 inches) long. Traditionally, it was made from the shell of an armadillo, called quirquincho or mulita in Spanish, but it can also be made of wood, which some people think makes it sound better. Modern charangos are often made of wood, and smaller ones for children may use calabash. Most charangos have ten strings arranged in five groups of two strings each, though other versions exist.

The charango is mainly played in traditional Andean music. A person who plays the charango is called a charanguista.

History

When Spanish explorers arrived in South America, they brought with them a musical instrument called the vihuela, which is an early version of the classical guitar. It is unclear if the charango, a small stringed instrument, is directly linked to a specific Spanish instrument. It may have developed from the vihuela, bandurria (a type of mandolin), or the lute. Ernesto Cavour, a Bolivian musician and expert on charango history, has studied 16th-century vihuelas and guitars and believes the charango is directly descended from the vihuela.

There are several stories about how the charango came to have its small, armadillo-shaped body. One story says that native musicians liked the sound of the vihuela but did not have the tools to shape wood in the same way. Another story claims that Spanish settlers banned native music, and the charango was created as a way to make a lute that could be hidden under clothing like a poncho.

There is no clear evidence about when or where the charango was first made, but several theories exist. One theory suggests the charango took its modern form in the early 18th century in Potosí, a city in what is now Bolivia. This may have happened through interactions between Spanish settlers and Indigenous people. Cavour supports this idea, pointing to 18th-century murals and carvings in Potosí’s Church of San Lorenzo that show figures playing what appear to be charangos.

Other theories suggest the charango may have spread from the Ayacucho region of colonial Peru through migration among Quechua-speaking people. This would mean the instrument originated in what is now Peru and later spread to other parts of the Andes. However, this idea has not been proven.

Because modern countries like Peru and Bolivia did not exist at the time, it is difficult to determine the charango’s origin. This topic remains debated by people from both nations.

A third theory suggests the charango may have come from the timple canario, an instrument from the Canary Islands. More research is needed to confirm this.

The first known written record about the charango dates to 1814, when a priest in Tupiza, Bolivia, wrote that Indigenous people used small guitars called "guitarrillos" and called them "charangos." Another researcher, Turino, found carvings of figures playing charangos in colonial churches in Bolivia, possibly in the Church of San Lorenzo, which was built between 1547 and 1744.

The origin of the word "charango" is unclear. One idea is that it came from the name of the instrument’s players, called "charangeros," which meant people with questionable behavior. Another theory says it is a Spanish word, "charanga," which could refer to a type of military music or a poorly tuned orchestra. A third theory, proposed by a musician named Alfredo Coca, suggests "charango" comes from a Spanish version of the Quechua word "chajwaku," meaning "joy" or "noisy." This theory is supported by the practice of Spanish settlers using Indigenous words.

Cavour, however, supports the idea that "charango" is a mispronunciation of "charanga," meaning a brass band or military music.

In the book Charango Method by Duran and Pedrotti, the first complete guide to playing the charango, the origin of the term is discussed in detail.

Construction

A charango is traditionally made with a dried armadillo shell for the back and wood for the soundboard, neck, and other parts. While this method is still used, it is now less common. Modern charangos are usually made entirely of wood, with the curved back shaped to look like an armadillo shell. Unlike most wooden lutes, the body and neck of a charango are often carved from a single block of wood. The instrument has ten strings, which require a large headstock that is often as big as or larger than the small soundbox. Visually, it looks similar to a bowl-backed mandolin or a small ukulele.

A typical charango is about 66 centimeters (26 inches) long, with a string length of about 37 centimeters (15 inches). It has between five and eighteen frets. The most common version has ten strings made of nylon, gut, or occasionally metal. Some charangos have four to fifteen strings, arranged in different combinations. The body is usually narrower at the waist, like a guitar, not the pear shape of a lute. The shape of the body and soundboard varies, and many types of wood are used. Like guitars, cedar or spruce is often preferred for the soundboard. Older charangos used sliding tuning pegs, but modern ones use geared tuners similar to those on classical guitars. Some instruments have decorations, such as inlaid patterns, carved headstocks, or engraved designs on the back. Strap buttons and fingerboard markers may also be included.

Variations in design include a separate neck, a two-piece soundboard with contrasting woods, old-style sliding pegs, or guitar-style construction. The number and shape of soundholes vary widely, ranging from single round or oval holes to multiple holes in different shapes. Some charangos have two holes near the headstock, which may affect the sound.

Recently, solid-body electric and hollow-body acoustic-electric charangos have been made. Solid-body versions resemble miniature electric guitars, while acoustic-electric versions add a microphone or pickup to amplify the sound.

In his book The Motorcycle Diaries, Che Guevara described a charango he saw near Temuco, Chile, in 1952. It was made with three or four wires stretched tightly across metal cans attached to a board. The musician used a metal knuckle duster to pluck the wires, creating a sound like a toy guitar.

Tuning

The basic charango has five pairs (or courses) of strings, usually tuned GCEAE. This tuning, without considering octaves, is similar to the C-tuning of a ukulele or a Venezuelan cuatro, but includes an extra pair of E strings. Unlike most stringed instruments, all ten strings of the charango are tuned within one octave. The five courses are tuned as follows (from 5th to 1st course): G4 G4 • C5 C5 • E5 E4 • A4 A4 • E5 E5. Some players add "octave" strings to other pairs besides the middle course. The lowest pitch is the "E" string in the middle (3rd) course, which is followed by the higher-pitched "g" (5th) course and "c" (4th) course, and then by even higher-pitched "a" (2nd) course and "e" (1st) courses. This tuning pattern is called a re-entrant pattern because the string pitches do not increase steadily from one string to the next. Instead, they go from high to low and then back to high again.

The way the charango is tuned means that most chords have a limited range of tones, often with many repeated pitches. This creates a strong, powerful sound despite the instrument’s small size. Seventh and ninth chords sound brighter on the charango than on a guitar because of the closely spaced harmonies. For melody playing, the charanguista can make a sound similar to a harp, with notes that ring out clearly, like a piano with the sustain pedal held down. Because the strings are closely spaced (intervals like 2nds), a simple alternating finger-style pattern with the right hand can create fast, smooth chromatic or diatonic runs with only small movements of the left hand. This makes the charango very flexible for playing melodies, especially compared to instruments usually played with a flat pick.

Like other stringed instruments, the charango can have different tunings. However, the most commonly used tunings for the 10-string, five-course version are:

G#m7 tuning is made by lowering the pitch by one semitone. Gm7 tuning is made by lowering the pitch by one full step. Em7 tuning is made by lowering the pitch by a perfect fourth.

Types

There are different types of charangos, including those with metal strings, nylon or gut strings, and mixed strings. Some metal-stringed charangos have all strings of the same thickness. There are also solid-body electric charangos.

Charangos come in many forms. Often, the name of a specific type refers to the town or region where it is most commonly found, such as the Charango Ayquileño from Ayquile, Bolivia. These instruments have between four and 20 strings, and the courses (groups of strings) can be single, double, triple, or quadruple. The standard charango has 10 strings in five courses of two strings each.

Some common types of charango include:

• Walaycho: A smaller charango with a scale length of about 30 centimeters (12 inches). It has 10 strings arranged in five courses of two strings each, made of metal, nylon, or nylon fishing line. The headstock holds ten tuners, making the instrument longer overall. It is usually tuned a fifth higher (sometimes a fourth higher) than the standard charango. The third course may be in unison or octaves.
• Charangón: A larger charango, often called a tenor charango. It is about 75 centimeters (30 inches) long and has a scale length of 42–51 centimeters (17–20 inches). It was invented by Mauro Nuñez. It is commonly tuned a fourth lower (Argentine tuning) or a fifth lower (Bolivian tuning) than the standard charango. Sometimes it is tuned an octave lower, though this is more typical for the ronroco.
• Ronroco: An even larger charango, similar to a baritone or bass instrument. It is about 80 centimeters (31 inches) long with a scale length of 46–50 centimeters (18–20 inches). It was named Ronroco by Gonzalo Hermosa of the group Los Kjarkas in the 1980s. It has ten nylon strings in five double courses. It is often tuned a fourth lower (Argentine tuning), a fifth lower (Bolivia or Chile), or an octave lower (Bolivian tuning). The third course is tuned an octave apart, while other courses are usually in unison. If the fourth and fifth courses are tuned an octave lower, the ronroco is no longer in reentrant tuning.
• Chillador: This term can refer to two types of charango. One has a flat back like a guitar and is tuned like a standard charango. The other is a flat-backed, steel-strung instrument that exists in 10- or 12-string forms. When it has 10 strings, it is tuned like a charango. With 12 strings, the second and fourth courses are triple-strung, and the tuning resembles that of a charangón or ronroco in Argentine tuning.
• Hatun charango (or "grand charango"): A modern, extended-range charango from Peru. It has seven or eight strings, with the third course double-strung. It is tuned A3 • D4 • G4 • C5 • E5 E4 • A4 • E5.

Other, less common types include:

• Ayacucho: A small, guitar-style charango with six strings in five courses (1–1–2–1–1). It is tuned like a standard charango, with the doubled course in octaves.
• Bajo charango: A large bass instrument, invented by Mauro Nuñez in Cochabamba. It is about 1.5 meters (4 feet 11 inches) long, with a scale length of 87 centimeters (34 inches). It has six strings in five courses (1–1–2–1–1), tuned B • E • B • G • D, with the third course in octaves. It sounds two octaves lower than the standard charango and is written as a transposing instrument (parts are notated a fourth higher than they sound).
• Charango mediano (or "medium" charango): A rural instrument with sizes ranging from 50 to 95 centimeters (20 to 37 inches) and scale lengths from 33 to 65 centimeters (13 to 26 inches). It has ten strings in five courses, usually tuned an octave below the standard charango.
• Khonkhota (also jitarron or pomputu): A rustic instrument from Cochabamba, Oruro, and Potosí. It has a plywood soundbox, five frets, and eight strings in five courses (2–2–1–1–2), all in unison. A common tuning is E • A • D • B • C.
• Moquegua: A charango with 20 strings in five courses of four strings each. It is tuned like the standard charango, with the third course in octaves.
• Pampeno (also Arequipeño): A rustic, guitar-style charango from Arequipa, Peru. It has 15 metal strings in five triple-strung courses, tuned C# • F# • C# • A • E, with the third course in octaves.
• Shrieker: A small instrument from southern Peru, similar to the walaycho but with 12 strings in five courses. The second and fourth courses are triple-strung. It is tuned like the

Names

The charango has different names in various areas of the Andes. Some of these names are:

• Mulita y tatu (in Argentina)
• Kirkinchu (sometimes "quirquinchu") and kirki (in Bolivia and Peru)
• Quinquela (in Bolivia)

There are also many different ways people say these names depending on where they live.

Notable players

• Ernesto Cavour, musician from Bolivia
• Mauro Nuñez, musician from Bolivia
• Eddy Navia, from Potosí, Bolivia
• Gonzalo Hermosa, musician from Bolivia; co-founder of Los Kjarkas; inventor of the ronroco instrument
• Ulises Hermosa, musician from Bolivia; co-founder of Los Kjarkas
• Julio Lavayen, charanguista, arranger, and composer; first charanguista of Los Kjarkas; from Cochabamba, Bolivia
• Patricio Castillo, musician from Chile; member of Quilapayún
• Bruce Cockburn, musician from Canada; featured on Lily of the Midnight Sky
• Roberto Gonzalez, known as "Gurrumino," musician from Mexico; member of Raza Obrera
• Jorge Milchberg, musician from Argentina; member of Urubamba ("Los Incas")
• Gustavo Santaolalla, musician from Argentina; specialist in the ronroco instrument from Bolivia
• Hector Soto, charanguista soloist, composer, and teacher; from Santiago de Chile
• Federico Tarazona, musician from Peru; interpreter
• Jaime Torres, interpreter of Argentine-Bolivian heritage; who was nominated for an Oscar
• Micah Nelson, American interpreter

In popular culture

• The charango is an important instrument in Andean and Latin American music styles and is central to popular music in Peru, Bolivia, and Chile.
• Some well-known bands and groups that use the charango include: Los Kjarkas, Savia Andina, Luzmila Carpio, Grupo Aymara, Inti-Illimani, Quilapayún, Arak Pacha.
• The charango appears in the Simon & Garfunkel song "If I Could," which added new vocals to the recording of "El Condor Pasa" by Los Incas.
• The 1976 Japanese TV anime series 3000 Leagues in Search of Mother uses the charango and quena in its opening song, Sougen no Marco.
• Ólöf Arnalds, an Icelandic folk singer, often plays the charango on her first album Við og Við. She also plays the charango on two songs from Skúli Sverrisson's Sería album: Sungio E.g. Gaeti and Sería.
• Yehuda Glantz, a Jewish-Latin musician, often performs with a charango. On his live album Granite, he tells his audience he plays a charango from his home country, Argentina.
• Monsieur Periné, a Colombian group, uses the charango in many songs, combining Colombian folk rhythms with gypsy jazz.
• Morcheeba, an electronica group, has an album called Charango, which includes a song named Charango featuring rapper Pace Won.
• Andrew Reissiger, a member of the world music group Dromedary, uses the charango in many songs. He has played the instrument in Jonathan Byrd's The Sea and The Sky and on a Puerto Rican CD with Roy Brown, Tito Auger, and Tao Rodriguez-Seeger titled Que Vaya Bien.
• Gustavo Santaolalla, a composer for films like Babel, 21 Grams, and The Motorcycle Diaries, often uses the charango and another instrument called the Ronroco in his music. His 1998 album Ronroco highlights the charango.
• Blanco White, an English singer-songwriter, plays the charango in several songs, especially the song Olalla on his 2020 album On The Other Side.
• Eclectic Charango Beats, a band formed in Brooklyn by Latin American musicians, uses the charango's sound with cumbia and psychedelic rock music.
• Young the Giant uses the charango in their 2018 song Superposition.