The ronroco (also spelled ronrroco) is a low-pitched instrument in the charango family, with a string length of 44 to 50 centimeters. It was created in 1968 by brothers Gonzalo and Wilson Hermosa, members of the group Los Kjarkas from Cochabamba, Bolivia. The instrument became widely used during the 1980s. In the 1990s and 2000s, it gained more popularity through the work of Argentinian musician and composer Gustavo Santaolalla.
Ronrocos have 10 strings arranged in five pairs. They are made from carved wood or bent sides (like modern charangos), not from an armadillo shell (as older charangos were).
Tunings
Common tunings include:
- D4 D4, G4 G4, B4 B3, E4 E4, B4 B4 (A fourth lower than the charango, sometimes called Argentinian tuning or Bolivian tuning)
- G3 G3, C3 C3, E4 E3, A3 A3, E4 E4 (One octave lower than the charango, sometimes called Chilean tuning)
- D4 D3, G4 G3, B4 B3, E4 E4, B4 B4 (Octave strings on the lower courses)
- G3 G2, C3 C2, E4 E3, A3 A3, E4 E4 (Octave strings on the lower courses)
- C4 C4, F4 F4, A4 A3, D4 D4, A4 A4 (Also sometimes called Bolivian tuning)