Charango 60th birthday

Doug W · Dec 9, 2012

My kids gave this to me for my 60th birthday. It came a bit late but that doesn't matter. I owned one years ago when we lived in South America, loaned it to a neighbor kid and never saw it again.

I am excited to have one again. I hadn't remembered that the tuning was so close to a uke except for the double courses and extra E.

Big_e · Dec 30, 2012

She's lovely! I have an old armadillo charango stored away. I will have to get it out and see if my ukulele skills will help me with it. I had gotten discouraged awhile back. Most chords are the same but that extra E course can make the last finger stretch abit.

kvehe · Jan 13, 2013

Hi, Doug and Big_e -

So, it looks like I may be joining the ranks of the charango fans, having just purchased one on impulse. How are you doing with it? Do you have any advice for a noob??? Recommended books or websites?? Anything you'd like to tell me either via the thread or via a PM??

Thanks.

Doug W · Feb 2, 2013

Kathryn,

I have no advice for the charango. I did see many great players in concert when I lived in Bolivia, but never learned to properly play it before the neighbor kid borrowed it for life.

I saw this guy Eddie Navia a couple times when he was with a group "Savia Andina"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dATlB_IQuWg

Another group I saw a number of times in Bolivia was "Los Kjarkas". I don't know if they are together anymore in any for but there are a lot of videos of them on Youtube. I saw them in concert in the mid to late 80s.

Guess we'll have to search for resources. Maybe we can push for a whole category under "Other Instruments".

Doug

Doug W · Feb 3, 2013

I have found a lot of lessons on Youtube in Spanish. There are also some like this one with English and Spanish subtitles:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQZpdcB3vAI

Big_e · Mar 8, 2013

Doug, that guy is awfully fast. Maybe a slower lesson would be better (I say this because I am slow). I would recommend subscribing to LeoHareMusic on youtube. At least to get the chords and bassic strum patterns down. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shXeLi2fYGA . This website is in spanish but has good for info and has a chord reference at the bottom right section http://www.charango.cl/paginas/Progresione2.html .
Ernest

Doug W · Mar 8, 2013

Ernest,

Good links. Spanish isn't a problem. You should attend the Ukulele World Congress in Needmore Indiana this year. We can form a charango delegation. Your trip would only be 3 hours longer than mine from Minneapolis. I am going this year with my 13 year old daughter. We are working on a charango / guitar duet along with some ukulele stuff.

Doug

Rubio MHS · Mar 8, 2013

I'm looking at possibly getting a charango for my next instrument purchase.

Doug W · Mar 9, 2013

Rubio MHS said:
I'm looking at possibly getting a charango for my next instrument purchase.

It is a great instrument and a smooth transition for guitar and ukulele players. You can be in our exclusive charango club.

Charango 60th birthday

Doug W

Well-known member

Big_e

Well-known member

kvehe

UU VIP

Doug W

Well-known member

Doug W

Well-known member

Big_e

Well-known member

Doug W

Well-known member

Rubio MHS

Well-known member

Doug W

Well-known member

Similar threads