My Charango

I love music from around the world, particularly the music of South America.  So imagine my excitment when an instrument, hand made in La Paz, arrives on my doorstep in Australia courtesy of The Charango Store.

A friend of mine lent me his Charango (a small guitar like instrument normally made from the shell of an armadillo) and I fell in love with the sound and feel of it. It has 5 strings each doubled in tone and tuned like a concert Ukulele G C E A and then a top E string like on a normal guitar. Having played Guitar and Ukulele for some time now this has proven to be quite handy and I am enjoying demonstrating this instrument to my students.  I have also bought a DVD that features this style of music over Amazon.  Here is a clip to grab your attention:

The seller, Luis, who runs the Charango Store, included a hard case for shipping and even sent me photos of the instrument before it was shipped for my approval.  His foresight to include instructions for Australian Quarantine (who opened my instrument) was likewise excellent. His service was incredible and I would highly recommend him and the instruments made by Quispe Torrez.

And if you are still confused as to what a Charango is, watch the clip from a documentary about this wonderful instrument. Its genesis is unique:

Lastly, the above videos help me introduce the world of South American to my students and expand their musical horizons. But I need to play the instrument as well! So I put together the following booklet to help me and anyone else who wishes to learn this fabulous instrument. Let me know if you have a Charango as well!