The charango is a South American instrument similar to a ukulele that produces a harp-like or rhythmic sound. The body of the charango was originally made from an armadillo shell. Today most charangos are crafted from wood. The charango can make a big sound, despite its relatively small size. You'll need to know a few things about the charango before you can learn to play this unique instrument.
Instructions
1. Starting with the first pair of strings (closest to the top of the instrument), tune the strings to G, C, E, A and E. The charango has ten strings. These strings are set in pairs.
2. Place one hand on the neck of the charango. If you ignore the high "E" strings, you have the normal tuning of a ukulele. Form chords that you would play on a ukulele. These will work on the first four strings of the charango.
3. Make chords that you would use on the top four strings of a guitar. You can play these chords on the second, third, fourth and fifth strings of the charango.
4. Form chords with one hand and "pluck" the strings with the other. This will produce a "harp-like" sound.
5. Use a plectrum, or pick, to "strum" the strings. This should produce a "strong, rhythmic" sound. Use a pick when using the charango for vocal or instrumental accompaniment.
6. Use charango study material to expand your charango-playing skills. There are many instructional books, audio recordings and videos about playing the charango. In addition, according to Guitarlearning.com, NTS has developed instructional software to help players of all levels. Some of the NTS software titles include: "Chordsmart for charango," "Scalesmart for charango" and "Songplayer."
Tags: strings charango, chords that, chords that would, Form chords, four strings, rhythmic sound, that would