Only strings 5 & 6 feature the octave stringing configuration, with one ‘E’ tuned to the same note as the high ‘E’ on the 1 st and 2 nd strings and the other ‘E’, an octave lower. Shrieker: An instrument from the South of the Peru similar to the walaycho, made of wood or armadillo. Typically less than 30cm long, it differs from the walaycho in having 12 strings, usually metal, in five courses; the second and fourth courses are triple-strung. Tuning is the same as for the walyacho. [30] The charango is a small Andean stringed instrument of the lute family, from the Quechua and Aymara populations in the territory of the Altiplano in post-Colonial times, after European stringed instruments were introduced by the Spanish during colonialization. The instrument is widespread throughout the Andean regions of Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, northern Chile and northwestern Argentina, where it is a popular musical instrument that exists in many variant forms. [1] The saddle and nut generally utilize bone, which is very hard-wearing. Alternatively, plastic is used on some of the cheaper instruments. What is a Walaycho? Is it a Charango? One of the most complete contemporary statements on the origin of the term "charango" appears in the introduction to Duran and Pedrotti's, Charango Method, ostensibly the first complete, bilingual charango method to be published:

One of the most popular Andean musical instruments is a small guitar with five double strings that looks like a Spanish bandurria. If looked at from the front, there is nothing special, but when you turn it around, it is surprising. Its resonator, which is more or less rounded, is not made out of wood. It’s the shell of an animal! There are 20 or 21 species of armadillos (biologists cannot agree on how to classify them), and all of them live in the South American pampas and other plains areas, and as far north as the southern part of North America (very few of them are found in the jungles). Gustavo Santaolalla - How Movie Music Moves Us". On Being with Krista Tippett. Archived from the original on 12 June 2015 . Retrieved 11 June 2015. Charanguista Ernesto Cavour disagrees, and tends to support the second origin, maintaining that the word “charango” comes from a mispronunciation of the Spanish word “charanga”, meaning "brass band" (a reasonable corollary to 'military music played on wind instruments'). [15] For example, the ronroco is a recent variation that is larger in size and with a deeper sound- a sort of baritone or bass charango. Andean MusicAnother useful piece of information to know about music is that every octave has a specific name. These loosely tie in with the ledger lines on a musical stave or staff. Here’s a list of the octaves from a standard 88-note piano ranging from lowest to highest, using the key of C as an example, along with the corresponding ASA and Helmholtz octave designation abbreviations: Travel to Cusco to hear the beautiful music of the Andes, and maybe you’ll even find your next lovely instrument. So arrangements were made and I wired across the cash to Chile. Yelkon said he would be able to complete the charango around the 10th of January which would mean I would just get it in time for Macbeth which was due to go up on the 1st of February. Khonkhota (also jitarron or pomputu): A rustic instrument of the rural regions of Cochabamba, Oruro, and Potosí. Its soundbox is made of plywood, and it has only five frets. The total length is 90cm, with a 65cm scale. It has eight strings in five courses (2-2-1-1-2); the doubled courses are all unison doublings. Tunings vary, with a common choice being E-A-D-B-C. [26]

I completed my music foundation at the excellent West London Institute (now sadly no longer in existence) in 1991, achieving Grade 8 with Merit in Classical Guitar during the two year course, an achievement I will always be proud of because I was unable to read music when I started the course. Bajo Charango: This is a larger bass instrument, leaning more towards a guitar than a traditional charango. This innovation was crafted by luthier Mauro Nunez in the Cochabamba region. Its large resonating body, typically constructed from plywood, and six strings arranged in five courses, give it a lower sound, two octaves beneath the charango.a b "Todo acerca del Charango". charango.cl. Archived from the original on 2014-09-22 . Retrieved 2014-10-16. The charango’s unison stringing arrangement is as follows: strings 1 & 2 (high E), 3 & 4 (A), 7 & 8 (C) and 9 & 10 (G) should all be tuned in pairs to their respective notes. The sound of the charango is shaped by its construction and tuning. Traditionally made from the shell of an armadillo and now more commonly from wood, the charango’s petite body and ten strings produce a bright, resonant sound that carries a surprising amount of volume for its size. The strings are arranged in pairs, each tuned to the same note, which creates a chorus effect that adds depth and richness to the instrument’s tone.