Quena, zampoña, charango: listening guide

Three instruments, three ways of making sound

An Andean folk band is built from a few instruments that each make sound in a different way: air across a notch, air across a row of tubes, and strings. This guide covers the instruments most often heard in Andean folk music, so you know what to listen for. The exact line-up on a given evening can vary, and nobody promises a particular instrument. Learn the three below and you can follow who is playing what from your table, whether you are at a dinner show or watching a performance elsewhere in Cusco.

The quena: a flute with a notch

The quena is the traditional flute of the Andes, made from cane or wood. It has six finger holes and one thumb hole. Unlike a recorder, it has no whistle mouthpiece. The player closes the top end against the flesh between chin and lower lip and blows across a notch cut into the rim, which gives the sound a breathy, textured edge. It is normally pitched in G, its tone is dark, and the upper notes are hard to play well. The name comes from the Quechua qina, and Peru has recognised the quena as part of its intangible cultural heritage.

The zampoña, or siku: panpipes in two halves

The zampoña is a panpipe: bound tubes of rising length, usually bamboo or cane, each tuned to one note. The Aymara call it a siku and the Quechua call it an antara. It is built in two rows, called ira and arka, and each row holds different notes, so playing a full scale means passing the tune between them. Traditionally two players each took one row. Today one musician often plays both, though some ensembles keep the older method. When many players split into the two groups, the result is a distinctive stereophonic sound.

The charango: a small lute

The charango is a small Andean lute, about 66 centimetres long. Most have ten strings in five pairs. It was traditionally made with the shell from an armadillo's back, but wood is more common today, because some players believe wood resonates better. It appeared after the Spanish brought stringed instruments such as the vihuela to the Andes. Exactly where and when it took its present form is still debated, and one theory points to early eighteenth-century Potosí. In an Andean ensemble, the charango supplies the string sound.

What else is in the band

Peruvian music blends Andean, Spanish and African roots. The Andean side shows mainly in the wind instruments and the shape of the melodies, while the European side shows in the harmonies and the string instruments. The bombo, a bass drum, is of European origin, as are the harp and the violin, which are also played in Peru. A huayno can feature a mix of quena, harp, siku, charango, violin, guitar and more, so one tune can combine instruments from several origins. That mixing is part of what makes the sound recognisably Andean.

What the names mean

The same instruments carry different names depending on the language, which is why searches for them vary so much. Quena comes from the Quechua qina. Siku is the Aymara name for the panpipe, antara is the Quechua one, and zampoña is the Spanish one. Charango has a murkier history: one view ties it to the Spanish charanga, a small band or brass music, another to a Quechua word for joy and noise, and the true origin is not settled. Expect to meet all of these words, in Spanish, Quechua and English writing, when you look the instruments up.

How to tell them apart at your table

You can often work out what is playing by watching the player. Quena and zampoña are both blown, so the giveaway is shape: a single tube with finger holes, or a row of tubes with none. Each panpipe tube sounds one note, set by its length, so players move the row along their lips instead of moving fingers. The charango is a small body with strings you can see being strummed or plucked.

• One pipe, fingers moving on holes: a quena
• A raft of tubes of different lengths at the lips: a zampoña or siku
• A small stringed body, strummed or plucked: a charango
• A large drum keeping the beat: a bombo

A simple listening plan

With a meal in front of you and a stage in the room, it helps to have something specific to listen for. Start with the beat. Then pick out the lead line, which in Andean music is often a flute or a panpipe. Then listen for the strings underneath. When the tune changes, watch the players to see who takes the lead. You do not need to name everything, and you can enjoy the dancing without the theory. Treat this as a way in, not a test.

• First, the beat: a drum, or strummed strings
• Second, the lead: a flute or a panpipe
• Third, the strings under the tune
• Last, who takes the lead when the tune changes

Listening for the huayno beat

Huayno is the best-known Andean song and dance form, and it is usually described as a 2/4 rhythm with the first beat stressed and followed by two short beats. The dance is agile and vigorous, with stamping feet, and the singing is high-pitched. If you hear one strong beat followed by two quick ones, with a flute or panpipe leading, you are probably hearing a huayno. Some elements of the form come from the music of the pre-Columbian Andes, and it took its present shape in colonial Peru. Our guide to the dances explains what to watch for.

Read next: Cusco's Andean Folk Dances, Explained

Where else to hear them

The Centro Qosqo de Arte Nativo gives daily folk shows and keeps a collection of costumes and musical instruments. It is part of the Boleto Turístico del Cusco, so it is covered if you already hold the pass. Tunupa's own website says live shows of Cusco dances and Andean music run in its restaurant each evening. Instruments sound different live than on a recording, and hearing the quena and zampoña in the same room is the quickest way to learn them. For the booking side, our Tunupa booking guide compares the options.

Read next: Cusco folk show: how to book Tunupa

Who this isn't for

If you want to learn to play, or to buy an instrument, this guide will not get you far: it only covers what to listen for. If you want a fixed set list, the programme can change from one evening to the next, so do not count on hearing one tune. And if all you need is a booking, skip ahead to our booking guide and the date picker. This is for listeners who want to follow the music while they eat.