Folk Culture

In the previous issues of the Amin, we have defined what a mariachi is and given a brief history of the mariachi. In this issue we will discuss the rhythmic instruments of the mariachi group, their role and history in the ensemble.

The harp is one of the oldest known musical instruments. Its’ beginnings go as far back as man’s recorded history. The instruments was introduced to the America’s by the Spanish and European people of the 1500’s. The Indian people of Mexico used the harp in nearly all the music of the day. The region of Veracruz and Jalisco however stood above other areas. By the 1800’s the Jarocho ensemble of Veracruz and the Cuarteto mariachi of Tecalitlan had developed as standard musical groups. About the turn of this century, the mariachi began to evolve into the modern ensemble and some groups started to use the newly developed guitarron. The size and awkwardness of the harp contributed to its’ gradual decline in use. A very few mariachi groups kept the harp as a matter of tradition and in recent years some groups have added the harp back to the ensemble. The harp is used mainly as a bass line and chord accompaniment. Occasionally the mariachi harp will play a melody line or solo.

The Guitarra de Golpe is a guitar variant which came into use with the introduction of the guitar from Spain in the 1500’s. It is about 3/4 the size of a standard guitar and is sometimes called a mariachera. The tuning can vary from region to region but the tuning that Gaspar Vargas used was g-c-e-a-d. The sound is a cross between the guitar and the vihuela. This was the instrument of choice in the mariachi cuarteto of the colonial era. The Golpe was in use until the 1940’s when it became replaced by the guitar/vihuela combination. The Guitarra De Golpe has also recently made a comeback although the tuning and manner of playing are not authentic in most cases. The Golpe is used as a rhythmic instrument and it was Gaspar Vargas’ masterful playing on this guitar that helped popularize the music.

The vihuela gets its’ name from the Spanish vihuela of the Renaissance time although the two are very different. The vihuela design includes a belly for added resonance and has five single courses of strings. The mariachis of Cocula and Ameca used the vihuela instead of the Guitarra De Golpe during the 1800’s. The vihuela has a tuning of a-d’-g’-b-e. and this instrument gives the mariachi ensemble its’ unique sound since no other genre of music uses the vihuela. The role of the vihuela is also as a rhythm and chordal accompaniment. In recent recordings, arrangers have made more clever use of the vihuela’s capabilities.

The heartbeat of the modern mariachi group is the Guitarron. The guitarron is a very large guitar-like instrument with a short neck, six strings, no frets on the fingerboard and a belly in the back. The guitarron appeared during the 1800’s and 4 and 5 string versions also existed.

The guitarron is played two strings in occtave like the harp which gives a similar sound; The guitarron has come to replace the harp due to its’ portability and louder tone. The modern guitarron is tuned to A-D-G-C-E-A with a range of about an octave and 1/2. The function of this chordophone in the mariachi group is to provide the bass line and to cue chord progressions.

The Spanish guitar came into the mariachi band early in the 1900’s. The proper form of guitar is the guitarra cesta for use in the mariachi. It is slightly wider than a classical guitar and deeper in sound. Although the guitar had been used since the early 1900’s it became a standard around the 1940’s. The combination of vihuela and guitar on recordings was favored over the guitarra de golpe. The guitar provides a middle voice of chords and rhythm between the guitarron and the vihuela. The normal tuning of E-A-D-G-B-E is used on the mariachi guitar.

These are the rhythm instruments of the mariachi ensemble of yesterday and today. Modern groups use these in different combinattions depending on availability and economic factors. This is only a brief discussion of this subject so please contact the International Folk Culture Center for comments or questions regarding this article.