Mel Bay Horacio Duran & Italo Pedrotti - Charango Method + Audio

Summary of This Method

Written by charango masters Horacio Duran and Italo Pedrotti, this method stands out for its rare pedagogical approach: it relies on conventional musical notation while offering bilingual Spanish/English text. The result: a work designed to support musicians of very diverse backgrounds, from curious beginners to advanced charango players seeking to refine their technique and gain precision.

The method is organized into two complementary main parts. The first focuses on essential rhythmic playing techniques for the charango style: it guides step-by-step the learning of rasgueo, repique, and tremolo, with a progressive approach emphasizing regularity, clarity of attack, and gesture control. This section provides a solid foundation to establish a reliable pulse and develop a true palette of dynamics, essential in the traditional repertoire.

The second part delves into melodic playing. You will find detailed work on expressive techniques that give depth to the lines: hammer-ons and pull-offs, trills, arpeggios, as well as passages combining simultaneous voices. The goal is to strengthen articulation, fluidity, and ornamentation to build a more singing and authentic phrasing.

The exercises are described as clear and progressive, and an appendix recalls the basics of music reading for students less familiar with theory. In addition to the 201 exercises designed for solo charango, the book offers 23 South American folk music classics arranged for charango with guitar accompaniment : enough to enrich both your technique and your performance repertoire. The scores are accompanied by a downloadable audio collection featuring exercises and pieces performed by renowned Chilean musicians, a valuable asset for working on style, timing, and interpretation.

Technical specifications

Publication

Methods

Composer	Horacio Duran; Italo Pedrotti	Language	Spanish and English
Instrumentation	Charango (solo); Charango with guitar accompaniment	Difficulty	Beginner to advanced
Genre	Instrumental Method