Editing Charango (section)

{{Short description|Small Andean stringed instrument of the lute family}}
{{About|the musical instrument|the Morcheeba album|Charango (album)|the Spanish band|Txarango}}
{{Infobox instrument
| name           = Charango
| names          = Quirquincho, Mulita, Tatu, Kirki
| image          = Bolivian charango 001.jpg
| image_capt     = A modern charango
| background     = string
| hornbostel_sachs = 321.321-5
| hornbostel_sachs_desc = Composite [[chordophone]] sounded by the [[pizzicato|bare fingers]]
| developed      = Early 18th century (perhaps earlier)
| range          = <div align=center> E4 - (G6)</div>
[[Image:Charango tuning v2.svg|130px|center]] <div align=center>Charango tuning (Am7/E)</div>
| related        = [[Walaycho]]; [[Chillador]]; Ronroco; ''et al'' (see text). [[Concheras]] (also has armadillo back)
}}

The '''charango''' is a small [[Andes|Andean]] [[stringed instrument]] of the [[lute]] family, from the [[Quechua people|Quechua]] and [[Aymara people|Aymara]] populations in the territory of the [[Altiplano]] in post-Colonial times, after European stringed instruments were introduced by the Spanish during colonization. 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.<ref name="charango">{{cite web|url=http://www.charango.cl/paginas/encuentros.htm|title=ORIGEN DEL CHARANGO|publisher=charango.cl|access-date=2014-10-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150107101631/http://www.charango.cl/paginas/encuentros.htm|archive-date=2015-01-07|url-status=dead}}</ref>

About {{convert|66|cm|in|abbr=on}} long, the charango was traditionally made with the shell from the back of an [[armadillo]] (called ''quirquincho'' or ''mulita'' in South American Spanish),<ref name="1uu" /><ref name="2uu" /> but it can also be made of wood, which some believe to be a better resonator.  Wood is more commonly used in modern instruments.<ref name="1uu">{{cite web|url=http://www.charango.cl/paginas/cualidad.htm|title=Todo acerca del Charango|publisher=charango.cl|access-date=2014-10-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140922142625/http://charango.cl/paginas/cualidad.htm|archive-date=2014-09-22|url-status=dead}}</ref> Charangos for children may also be made from [[Lagenaria siceraria|calabash]].<ref name="2uu">{{cite web|url=http://jlfeijooi.en.eresmas.com/Familia_de_los_charangos.htm|title=Familia de los charangos|publisher=jlfeijooi.en.eresmas.com|access-date=2014-10-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060426235333/http://jlfeijooi.en.eresmas.com/Familia_de_los_charangos.htm|archive-date=2006-04-26|url-status=dead}}</ref> Many contemporary charangos are now made with different types of wood. It typically has ten strings in five [[course (music)|courses]] of two strings each, but many other variations exist.

The charango was primarily played in traditional [[Andean music]]. A charango player is called a ''charanguista''.