Native of the Quichua (Runashimi) and Aymara-speaking populations (South America), the Charango (also known as "Quirqui") is used to play folk music from the Andes highlands, very popular in Peru, North-West Argentina, and North Chile.
Musicologists often say that the Charango is a hybrid between a Mandolin and a Ukelele.
The Charango has 10 strings arranged in 5 courses. Each paired set of strings are tuned at unison, except for the third course, where each string is tuned octaves apart.
Because of its high pitch, and ease of movement around the fretboard, it is an instrument often used to play melodies, and chords.
The following table shows the standard tuning for the Charango:
To produce different notes, press a string on one of the frets with the left hand, and pluck it with the right hand (sounds best with fingers).
The following chart shows the notes produced by each course, when pressed on each fret: