Tarka (flute)

The tarka (Quechua, Aymara: tharqa) is an indigenous flute of the Andes.

Usually made of wood, it has 6 finger holes, fipple on mouth end and free hole on distant end.

[1] The tarka is a blockflute, like a recorder, but is comparatively shorter and quite angular in shape, requires greater breath, and has a darker, more penetrating sound.

Usually all three kinds of tarka are used together in a big ensemble, all playing the same melody on three voices at fixed intervals and accompanied by percussion instruments (tinya, wankar).

This article relating to flutes is a stub.