charango

[Alex Timmerman]

Hello Bill,

I read somewhere in this topic that you tune your Charango in this string arrangement: g-a-d-g-c (from the lowest to the highest strings). If so, the four highest strings are tuned exactly a whole tone lower than the Italian Mandolla (±1600) tuning. Except for the lowest string pair, since that is tuned to a g.
Towards a Mandolla/Mandolino tuning it is better to tune that string pair to f#, because that would result in a tuning #f#-a-d-g-c.

Now, if you tune your instrument up a whole tone (and I think this is possible) to: g-b-e´-a´-d´´, you have the exact mandolla tuning in fourth. This enables you to play the repertoire of the Mandolla.

If you want to play the Mandolino repertoire more or less at pitch, the first thing to do is: tune down the lowest string pair from g to f-sharp. Resulting in a tuning of: f# - b-e´-a´-d´´. #Secondly, place a Capotasto at the 5th position on your Charango. Now you have created the tuning of the five double strung Mandolino: b-e´-a´-d´´-g´´ on your “Charango”.

To have a little more ´space´ for the movement of your left-hand fingers on the Charango fingerboard I would advice you to play at Baroque pitch (415 Hertz). This is done on your "Mando-rango" by placing the Capotasto in the 4th position.
You than still have the tone-range under the first string pair (up to d´´´) that is needed for most of the Mandolino repertoire up to about 1730.

After that time most of the Mandolino music requires a bottom 6th string tuned to g. In this way you have made your own practise ´Mandolino´.


Have fun,

Alex.


PS. Also, to create a longer fingerboard you can tune up the Mandolla tuning I suggested: f#-b-e´-a´-d´´ up with a whole tone to: g#-c#´-f#´-b´-e´´, and put down the Capotasto at the 3rd position.

PS. If the normal string-length on your Charango is 37cm, can you tell me how long it is measuring this from the third position to the nut? I think that would be interesting to know. Thanks in advance.

[billkilpatrick]

dear alex -

thank you for your wonderful reply; very thoughtful and very kind. #your command of computer technology is impressive as well.

the g-b-e'-a'-d" tuning you suggest is probably the way i'll go - especially if it allows me to play music written for the mandola. #it's also a banjo tuning, i note.

the distance on my charango, from the third position (4th fret) to the beginning of the nut, is 6 cm precisely. #i have a fret positioned just before the nut (i don't see one on yours) and the measure for that (fret to fret) is 5.7 cm.

you've made me wonder if my charango is strong enough to support the 5 course mandolino tuning i was aiming for. #mine has a solid bodied, wood construction but i've heard that charango bridges in general have a tendency to (wince) pop.

thanks again for your help alex. #by way of compensation - to you and anyone else on this wonderful site - if you ever need to know anything about shoveling sheep sheet onto olive trees and the oil which sometimes results, i'm your man.

sincerely - bill

[Alex Timmerman]

Thank you and good morning Bill,

I think you can only reach the Mandolino pitch with a Capotasto on your instrument. Therefore the measurements you gave are interesting because the swinging string-length of the Mandolino tuning - if you put a Capotasto in the 4th position on your Charango - is 31.3cm (37 minus 5.7cm). And that´s about the Mandolino mensure (swinging string-length). The advantage of this way is that you have no problems of collapsing fingerboars and sound tables and breaking up bridges.

One other tip: use a flat as possible Capotasto, so that the side of your 3rd phalanx (counted from the tip of the finger) of your index finger will not be hampered in it´s movements by it.


Playing on your Charango in this manner would give you a near to and nice ´Mandolino feeling´ under your fingers, I would say. That is for the time being, plan 2 is to watch out for a nice Mandolino.


All the best,

Alex

PS. It sounds like a marvellous job you have! All day in the open air!

[billkilpatrick]

dear alex -

i've retuned my charango from the "g-adgc" tuning i normally play to the "g-bead" tuning you recommended - an up-grade, indeed! it's sounds just wonderful. i don't know why; it could just be the newness of a higher, brighter tone and easier access to the "g" but it makes everything i play sound so much better.

there's a south american musician named ernesto cavour, an advocate of the charango who says there are literally hundreds of tunings for the charango, aside from the traditional "gceae" tuning. on its way from vihuela de mano to charango, the instrument must have passed through a wide variety of tunings and i'm sure this was one.

many thanks alex. your good advise may seem obvious to you but to me, it's positively enlightening.

sincerely - bill

[Irénée]

... tuned in fifth, I have mine : CC-GG-DD-AA-ee with 37cm scale...

[Simon DS]

Very nice looking instrument, they seem to have a mystique about them. I’d like to own one.
I really enjoy learning all of the different strumming techniques (I make do on my ukulele).
It seems that the ukulele is played everywhere now in the UK. I wonder how much of that is driven by the plentiful supply of relatively cheap, high quality instruments from China, Vietnam etc.